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Parkinson’s disease (PD) decreases the quality of life of the affected individuals. The incidence of PD is expected to increase given the growing aging population. Motor symptoms associated with PD render the patients unable to self-care and function properly. Given that several drugs have been developed to control motor symptoms, highly sensitive scales for clinical evaluation of drug efficacy are needed. Among such scales, the objective and continuous evaluation of wearable devices is increasingly utilized by clinicians and patients. Several electronic technologies have revolutionized the clinical monitoring of PD development, especially its motor symptoms. Here, we review and discuss the recent advances in the development of wearable devices for bradykinesia, tremor, gait, and myotonia. Our aim is to capture the experiences of patients and clinicians, as well as expand our understanding on the application of wearable technology. In so-doing, we lay the foundation for further research into the use of wearable technology in the management of PD.

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PurposeThe purpose of this study was to introduce an orthogonal experimental design (OED) to improve the efficiency of building and optimizing models for freezing of gait (FOG) prediction.MethodsA random forest (RF) model was developed to predict FOG by using acceleration signals and angular velocity signals to recognize possible precursor signs of FOG (preFOG). An OED was introduced to optimize the feature extraction parameters.ResultsThe main effects and interaction among the feature extraction hyperparameters were analyzed. The false-positive rate, hit rate, and mean prediction time (MPT) were 27%, 68%, and 2.99 s, respectively.ConclusionThe OED was an effective method for analyzing the main effects and interactions among the feature extraction parameters. It was also beneficial for optimizing the feature extraction parameters of the FOG prediction model.

OBJECTIVE To provide better postoperative healthcare for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who received deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery and to allow surgeons improved tracking of surgical outcomes, the authors sought to examine the applicability and feasibility of remote assessment using smartphones. METHODS A disease management mobile application specifically for PD was used to perform the remote assessment of patients with PD who underwent DBS. Connection with patients was first established via a phone call or a social application, and instructions for completing the remote assessment were delivered. During the video-based virtual meeting, three nonmotor assessment scales measuring the quality of life and mental state, and a modified version of the Movement Disorder Society–sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, part III (MDS-UPDRS III) measuring motor abilities were evaluated. After the assessment, a report and the satisfaction questionnaire were sent to the patient. RESULTS Overall, 22 patients were recruited over a 4-week period. Among those, 18 patients completed the assessment on the mobile application. The mean duration was 41.3 minutes for video assessment and 17.5 minutes for nonmotor assessment via telephone. The mean estimated cost was 427.68 Chinese yuan (CNY) for an in-person visit and 20.91 CNY for a virtual visit (p < 0.001). The mean time estimate for an in-person visit was 5.51 hours and 0.68 hours for a virtual visit (p = 0.002). All patients reported satisfaction (77.78% very satisfied and 22.22% satisfied) with the virtual visit and were specifically impressed by the professionalism and great attitude of the physician assistant. The majority of patients agreed that the evaluation time was reasonable (50% totally agree, 44.44% agree, and 5.56% neither agree nor disagree) and all patients expressed interest in future virtual visits (61.11% very willingly and 38.89% willingly). No adverse events were observed during the virtual visit. CONCLUSIONS Innovation in remote assessment technologies was highly feasible for its transforming power in the clinical management of patients with PD who underwent DBS and research. Video-based remote assessment offered considerable time and resource reduction for both patients and doctors. It also increased safety and was a well-accepted, favored tool. Finally, the results of this study have shown there is potential to combine remote assessment tools with real-life clinical visits and other telemedical technologies to collectively benefit the postoperative healthcare of patients with PD undergoing DBS.