Rotigotine for nocturnal hypokinesia in Parkinson's disease: Quantitative analysis of efficacy from a randomized, placebo-controlled trial using an axial inertial sensor

Abstract Background Nocturnal hypokinesia is a common symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD), negatively affecting quality of life of both patients and caregivers. However, evidence-based treatment strategies are limited. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of rotigotine transdermal patch, using a wearable sensor, in the management of nocturnal immobility. Methods 34 PD subjects with nocturnal immobility were randomized to receive rotigotine transdermal patch (mean ± SD of 10.46 ± 4.63 mg/24 h, n = 17) or placebo patch (n = 17). Treatment was titrated to an optimal dose over 1–8 weeks, then maintained for 4 weeks. Primary endpoints were objective parameters assessing axial rotation measured using an axial inertial sensor (the NIGHT-Recorder) over two nights at the patients' home. Scale-based assessments were also performed. Results There was a significant difference, in favor of rotigotine, in change from baseline score in the number of turns in bed (ANCOVA, p  = 0.001), and degree of axial turn ( p  = 0.042). These objective improvements were mirrored by significantly greater improvements in clinical scale-based assessments, including the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) total scores ( p  = 0.009), UPDRS-motor scores ( p p  = 0.01), the Modified Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale ( p p  = 0.003) and the eight-item PD Questionnaire (PDQ-8) scores ( p  = 0.01) from baseline to end of treatment in patients given rotigotine compared to placebo. Conclusion We show that the rotigotine patch provides a significant improvement in nocturnal symptoms as assessed using both objective measures and clinical rating scales. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using wearable sensors to record objective outcomes in PD-related clinical trials.