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Wearable sensors objectively measure gait parameters in Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT: Distinct gait characteristics like short steps and shuffling gait are prototypical signs commonly observed in Parkinson's disease. Routinely assessed by observation through clinicians, gait is rated as part of categorical clinical scores. There is an increasing need to provide quantitative measurements of gait, e.g. to provide detailed information about disease progression. Recently, we developed a wearable sensor-based gait analysis system as diagnostic tool that objectively assesses gait parameter in Parkinson's disease without the need of having a specialized gait laboratory. This system consists of inertial sensor units attached laterally to both shoes. The computed target of measures are spatiotemporal gait parameters including stride length and time, stance phase time, heel-strike and toe-off angle, toe clearance, and inter-stride variation from gait sequences. To translate this prototype into medical care, we conducted a cross-sectional study including 190 Parkinson's disease patients and 101 age-matched controls and measured gait characteristics during a 4x10 meter walk at the subjects' preferred speed. To determine intraindividual changes in gait, we monitored the gait characteristics of 63 patients longitudinally. Cross-sectional analysis revealed distinct spatiotemporal gait parameter differences reflecting typical Parkinson's disease gait characteristics including short steps, shuffling gait, and postural instability specific for different disease stages and levels of motor impairment. The longitudinal analysis revealed that gait parameters were sensitive to changes by mirroring the progressive nature of Parkinson's disease and corresponded to physician ratings. Taken together, we successfully show that wearable sensor-based gait analysis reaches clinical applicability providing a high biomechanical resolution for gait impairment in Parkinson's disease. These data demonstrate the feasibility and applicability of objective wearable sensor-based gait measurement in Parkinson's disease reaching high technological readiness levels for both, large scale clinical studies and individual patient care.

SUBMITTER: Schlachetzki JCM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5636070 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Wearable sensors objectively measure gait parameters in Parkinson's disease.

Schlachetzki Johannes C M JCM Barth Jens J Marxreiter Franz F Gossler Julia J Kohl Zacharias Z Reinfelder Samuel S Gassner Heiko H Aminian Kamiar K Eskofier Bjoern M BM Winkler Jürgen J Klucken Jochen J

PloS one 20171011 10

Distinct gait characteristics like short steps and shuffling gait are prototypical signs commonly observed in Parkinson's disease. Routinely assessed by observation through clinicians, gait is rated as part of categorical clinical scores. There is an increasing need to provide quantitative measurements of gait, e.g. to provide detailed information about disease progression. Recently, we developed a wearable sensor-based gait analysis system as diagnostic tool that objectively assesses gait param ...[more]

PMID: 29020012

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Project description:The use of wearable sensors allows continuous recordings of physical activity from participants in free-living or at-home clinical studies. The large amount of data collected demands automatic analysis pipelines to extract gait parameters that can be used as clinical endpoints. We introduce a deep learning-based automatic pipeline for wearables that processes tri-axial accelerometry data and extracts gait events-bout segmentation, initial contact (IC), and final contact (FC)-from a single sensor located at either the lower back (near L5), shin or wrist. The gait events detected are posteriorly used for gait parameter estimation, such as step time, length, and symmetry. We report results from a leave-one-subject-out (LOSO) validation on a pilot study dataset of five participants clinically diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) and six healthy controls (HC). Participants wore sensors at three body locations and walked on a pressure-sensing walkway to obtain reference gait data. Mean absolute errors (MAE) for the IC events ranged from 22.82 to 33.09 milliseconds (msecs) for the lower back sensor while for the shin and wrist sensors, MAE ranges were 28.56-64.66 and 40.19-72.50 msecs, respectively. For the FC-event detection, MAE ranges were 29.06-48.42, 40.19-72.70 and 36.06-60.18 msecs for the lumbar, wrist and shin sensors, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients, ICC(2,k), between the estimated parameters and the reference data resulted in good-to-excellent agreement (ICC ≥ 0.84) for the lumbar and shin sensors, excluding the double support time (ICC = 0.37 lumbar and 0.38 shin) and swing time (ICC = 0.55 lumbar and 0.59 shin). The wrist sensor also showed good agreements, but the ICCs were lower overall than for the other two sensors. Our proposed analysis pipeline has the potential to extract up to 100 gait-related parameters, and we expect our contribution will further support developments in the fields of wearable sensors, digital health, and remote monitoring in clinical trials.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Gait impairments including shuffling gait and hesitation are common in people with Parkinson's disease (PD), and have been linked to increased fall risk and freezing of gait. Nowadays the gait metrics mostly focus on the spatiotemporal characteristics of gait, but less is known of the angular characteristics of the gait, which may provide helpful information pertaining to the functional status and effects of the treatment in PD. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to quantify the angles of steps during walking, and explore if this novel step angle metric is associated with the severity of PD and the effects of the treatment including the acute levodopa challenge test (ALCT) and deep brain stimulation (DBS). METHODS:A total of 18 participants with PD completed the walking test before and after the ALCT, and 25 participants with PD completed the test with the DBS on and off. The walking test was implemented under two conditions: walking normally at a preferred speed (single task) and walking while performing a cognitive serial subtraction task (dual task). A total of 17 age-matched participants without PD also completed this walking test. The angular velocity was measured using wearable sensors on each ankle, and three gait angular metrics were obtained, that is mean step angle, initial step angle, and last step angle. The conventional gait metrics (ie, step time and step number) were also calculated. RESULTS:The results showed that compared to the control, the following three step angle metrics were significantly smaller in those with PD: mean step angle (F1,48=69.75, P<.001, partial eta-square=0.59), initial step angle (F1,48=15.56, P<.001, partial eta-square=0.25), and last step angle (F1,48=61.99, P<.001, partial eta-square=0.56). Within the PD cohort, both the ALCT and DBS induced greater mean step angles (ACLT: F1,38=5.77, P=.02, partial eta-square=0.13; DBS: F1,52=8.53, P=.005, partial eta-square=0.14) and last step angles (ACLT: F1,38=10, P=.003, partial eta-square=0.21; DBS: F1,52=4.96, P=.003, partial eta-square=0.09), but no significant changes were observed in step time and number after the treatments. Additionally, these step angles were correlated with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Part III score: mean step angle (single task: r=-0.60, P<.001; dual task: r=-0.52, P<.001), initial step angle (single task: r=-0.35, P=.006; dual task: r=-0.35, P=.01), and last step angle (single task: r=-0.43, P=.001; dual task: r=-0.41, P=.002). CONCLUSIONS:This pilot study demonstrated that the gait angular characteristics, as quantified by the step angles, were sensitive to the disease severity of PD and, more importantly, can capture the effects of treatments on the gait, while the traditional metrics cannot. This indicates that these metrics may serve as novel markers to help the assessment of gait in those with PD as well as the rehabilitation of this vulnerable cohort.

Project description:BackgroundGait disorder, a key contributor to fall and poor quality of life, represents a major therapeutic challenge in Parkinson's disease (PD). The efficacy of acupuncture for PD remains unclear, largely due to methodological flaws and lack of studies using objective outcome measures.ObjectiveTo objectively assess the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) for gait disorders using body-worn sensor technology in patients with PD.MethodsIn this randomized pilot study, both the patients and assessors were masked. Fifteen PD patients were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 10) or to a control group (n = 5). Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after completion of three weekly EA treatments. Measurements included gait analysis during single-task habitual walking (STHW), dual-task habitual walking (DTHW), single-task fast walking (STFW), dual-task fast walking (DTFW). In addition, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), SF-12 health survey, short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain were utilized.ResultsAll gait parameters were improved in the experimental group in response to EA treatment. After adjustment by age and BMI, the improvement achieved statistical significant level for gait speed under STHW, STFW, and DTFW (9%-19%, p<0.05) as well as stride length during DTFW (9%, p = 0.037) and midswing speed during STFW (6%, p = 0.033). No significant changes were observed in the control group (p>0.110). The highest correlation between gait parameters and UPRDS scores at baseline was observed between gait speed during STFW and UPDRS II (r = -0.888, p = 0.004). The change in this gait parameter in response to active intervention was positively correlated with baseline UPDRS (r = 0.595, p = 0.057). Finally, comparison of responses to treatment between groups showed significant improvement, prominently in gait speed (effect size 0.32-1.16, p = 0.001).ConclusionsThis study provides the objective proof of concept for potential benefits of non-pharmaceutical based EA therapy on enhancing gait in patients with PD.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02556164.

Project description:BackgroundAlthough it is well-established that osteoarthritis (OA) impairs daily-life gait, objective gait assessments are not part of routine clinical evaluation. Wearable inertial sensors provide an easily accessible and fast way to routinely evaluate gait quality in clinical settings. However, during these assessments, more complex and meaningful aspects of daily-life gait, including turning, dual-task performance, and upper body motion, are often overlooked. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate turning, dual-task performance, and upper body motion in individuals with knee or hip OA in addition to more commonly assessed spatiotemporal gait parameters using wearable sensors.MethodsGait was compared between individuals with unilateral knee (n = 25) or hip OA (n = 26) scheduled for joint replacement, and healthy controls (n = 27). For 2 min, participants walked back and forth along a 6-m trajectory making 180° turns, with and without a secondary cognitive task. Gait parameters were collected using 4 inertial measurement units on the feet and trunk. To test if dual-task gait, turning, and upper body motion had added value above spatiotemporal parameters, a factor analysis was conducted. Effect sizes were computed as standardized mean difference between OA groups and healthy controls to identify parameters from these gait domains that were sensitive to knee or hip OA.ResultsFour independent domains of gait were obtained: speed-spatial, speed-temporal, dual-task cost, and upper body motion. Turning parameters constituted a gait domain together with cadence. From the domains that were obtained, stride length (speed-spatial) and cadence (speed-temporal) had the strongest effect sizes for both knee and hip OA. Upper body motion (lumbar sagittal range of motion), showed a strong effect size when comparing hip OA with healthy controls. Parameters reflecting dual-task cost were not sensitive to knee or hip OA.ConclusionsBesides more commonly reported spatiotemporal parameters, only upper body motion provided non-redundant and sensitive parameters representing gait adaptations in individuals with hip OA. Turning parameters were sensitive to knee and hip OA, but were not independent from speed-related gait parameters. Dual-task parameters had limited additional value for evaluating gait in knee and hip OA, although dual-task cost constituted a separate gait domain. Future steps should include testing responsiveness of these gait domains to interventions aiming to improve mobility.

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Wearable sensors objectively measure gait parameters in Parkinson's disease.

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Wearable sensors objectively measure gait parameters in Parkinson's disease.

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