Quantitative Analysis of Motor Status in Parkinson’s Disease Using Wearable Devices: From Methodological Considerations to Problems in Clinical Applications

Long-term and objective monitoring is necessary for full assessment of the condition of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recent advances in biotechnology have seen the development of various types of wearable (body-worn) sensor systems. By using accelerometers and gyroscopes, these devices can quantify motor abnormalities, including decreased activity and gait disturbances, as well as nonmotor signs, such as sleep disturbances and autonomic dysfunctions in PD. This review discusses methodological problems inherent in wearable devices. Until now, analysis of the mean values of motion-induced signals on a particular day has been widely applied in the clinical management of PD patients. On the other hand, the reliability of these devices to detect various events, such as freezing of gait and dyskinesia, has been less than satisfactory. Quantification of disease-specific changes rather than nonspecific changes is necessary.