Review
Objective biomarkers of balance and gait for Parkinson's disease using body-worn sensors
Fay B. Horak PhD, PT,
Martina Mancini PhD,
Corresponding Author
Fay B. Horak PhD, PT
Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
Correspondence to: Dr. Fay B. Horak, Professor of Neurology, Parkinson Center of Oregon (OP32), 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239; [email protected], [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorMartina Mancini PhD
Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
Search for more papers by this authorFay B. Horak PhD, PT,
Martina Mancini PhD,
Corresponding Author
Fay B. Horak PhD, PT
Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
Correspondence to: Dr. Fay B. Horak, Professor of Neurology, Parkinson Center of Oregon (OP32), 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239; [email protected], [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorMartina Mancini PhD
Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
Search for more papers by this authorFunding agencies: This work was supported by the National Institutes on Aging, the National Center of Medical Rehabilitation Research, the Kinetics Foundation, and Oregon Health & Science University.
Relevant conflicts of interest/financial disclosures: Dr Fay Horak and OHSU have significant financial interests in APDM, a company that might have a commercial interest in the results of this research and technology. This potential conflict of interest has been reviewed and managed by OHSU and the Integrity Oversight Council.
Full financial disclosures and author roles may be found in the online version of this article.
ABSTRACT
Balance and gait impairments characterize the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD), predict the risk of falling, and are important contributors to reduced quality of life. Advances in technology of small, body-worn, inertial sensors have made it possible to develop quick, objective measures of balance and gait impairments in the clinic for research trials and clinical practice. Objective balance and gait metrics may eventually provide useful biomarkers for PD. In fact, objective balance and gait measures are already being used as surrogate endpoints for demonstrating clinical efficacy of new treatments, in place of counting falls from diaries, using stop-watch measures of gait speed, or clinical balance rating scales. This review summarizes the types of objective measures available from body-worn sensors. The metrics are organized based on the neural control system for mobility affected by PD: postural stability in stance, postural responses, gait initiation, gait (temporal-spatial lower and upper body coordination and dynamic equilibrium), postural transitions, and freezing of gait. However, the explosion of metrics derived by wearable sensors during prescribed balance and gait tasks, which are abnormal in individuals with PD, do not yet qualify as behavioral biomarkers, because many balance and gait impairments observed in PD are not specific to the disease, nor have they been related to specific pathophysiologic biomarkers. In the future, the most useful balance and gait biomarkers for PD will be those that are sensitive and specific for early PD and are related to the underlying disease process. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
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