For people living with Parkinson's disease, tracking how the condition affects their movement typically means visiting a clinic—where doctors can only observe a brief snapshot of someone's walking, tremor, or balance. But a team of UK scientists is working to change that, using sensors placed quietly in the background of a home to catch what a doctor's appointment might miss.
Researchers from the UK Dementia Research Institute Care Research & Technology Centre—including scientists from the University of Surrey—have developed a system using two types of contact-free sensors: a radar device that detects motion without emitting any energy of its own, and a depth camera that captures detailed movement data. Their study, published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, found these sensors could distinguish between people with Parkinson's whose medication was wearing off and people without the disease.
"Wearable technologies provide us with an invaluable insight into the life of those affected by Parkinson's and enable us to monitor their symptoms at home," said Dr. Shlomi Haar, associate head of research and senior lecturer in cognitive neuroscience at the university. "However, they do have their limitations as their accuracy can be strongly altered by a person's arm swing and are reliant on a person wearing the device and ensuring it is charged. We wanted to see if sensors placed within the home could help us accurately track symptoms while also removing the burden on a person to remember to wear a device."
The team recruited 29 participants—15 people with mild Parkinson's symptoms and 14 healthy volunteers—to walk a short distance of 4 meters, which is roughly 13 feet. People with Parkinson's performed the walk twice: once shortly after taking their medication and again when its effects were fading. The sensors measured features like how long each step took and how long each stride was.
The results showed promise. Both the radar and camera sensors could tell the difference between people with Parkinson's whose medication had worn off and healthy participants. The radar sensor also picked up on changes within the same Parkinson's patients between their medication-on and medication-off states. Interestingly, neither sensor found a clear difference between Parkinson's patients on medication and healthy controls—suggesting the drugs were effectively smoothing out the walking differences the sensors could detect.
The implications could reach far beyond the lab. Haar sees these unobtrusive devices potentially tracking disease progression over time, measuring how well new treatments work, and helping doctors personalize care plans for individual patients. Clinical trials testing Parkinson's therapies could also benefit from more continuous, objective data rather than relying solely on periodic check-ups.
"It is vital that we are able to monitor disease progression as it helps guide treatment plans and ensures a person gets the medical support they need," Haar said.