Abstract
BackgroundThere is growing interest in having objective assessment of health-related outcomes using technology-based devices that provide unbiased measurements which can be used in clinical practice and scientific research. Many studies have investigated the clinical manifestations of Parkinson’s disease using such devices. However, clinimetric properties and clinical validation vary among the different devices.MethodsGiven such heterogeneity, we sought to perform a systematic review in order to (i) list, (ii) compare and (iii) classify technological-based devices used to measure motor function in individuals with Parkinson's disease into three groups, namely wearable, non-wearable and hybrid devices. A systematic literature search of the PubMed database resulted in the inclusion of 168 studies. These studies were grouped based on the type of device used. For each device we reviewed availability, use, reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change. The devices were then classified as (i) ‘recommended’, (ii) ‘suggested’ or (iii) ‘listed’ based on the following criteria: (1) used in the assessment of Parkinson’s disease (yes/no), (2) used in published studies by people other than the developers (yes/no), and (3) successful clinimetric testing (yes/no).ResultsSeventy-three devices were identified, 22 were wearable, 38 were non-wearable, and 13 were hybrid devices. In accordance with our classification method, 9 devices were ‘recommended’, 34 devices were ‘suggested’, and 30 devices were classified as ‘listed’. Within the wearable devices group, the Mobility Lab sensors from Ambulatory Parkinson’s Disease Monitoring (APDM), Physilog®, StepWatch 3, TriTrac RT3 Triaxial accelerometer, McRoberts DynaPort, and Axivity (AX3) were classified as ‘recommended’. Within the non-wearable devices group, the Nintendo Wii Balance Board and GAITRite® gait analysis system were classified as ‘recommended’. Within the hybrid devices group only the Kinesia® system was classified as ‘recommended’.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12984-016-0136-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
There is growing interest in having objective assessment of health-related outcomes using technology-based devices that provide unbiased measurements which can be used in clinical practice and scientific research
This study proposes a systematic review of current literature aiming to (i) list, (ii) compare and (iii) classify technology-based devices that objectively measure Parkinson’s disease (PD) motor symptoms
Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) devices having been used with people with PD; and (2) devices that produced objective, quantifiable outcomes
Summary
There is growing interest in having objective assessment of health-related outcomes using technology-based devices that provide unbiased measurements which can be used in clinical practice and scientific research. There is a growing interest in having objective assessment of health-related outcomes using these devices which provide unbiased measurements and can be used in both daily clinical practice and scientific research. Several factors facilitate this interest, namely the ubiquitous nature of technology in the home-environment, the growing access to high-speed Internet connections and the rising computer literacy of the general population. Technology-based devices may simplify patient participation and data management in clinical trials They may enable long-term follow-up of previously established outcomes, with the ability to detect subtle changes that would otherwise go unnoticed. Such devices have been used in a variety of illnesses, such as breast cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease (PD)
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