Algorithm Helps Sensors on Parkinson's Patients Measure Tremor Severity in Daily Life, Study Says

Researchers have developed algorithms that work with wearable sensors to continuously monitor tremor, and estimate total tremor, in Parkinson's patients as they go about their daily routines. Analyses of sensor results using one algorithm, in particular, were similar to an established test assessing tremor without being dependent on the time the test is given. The study, "Wearable Sensors for Estimation of Parkinsonian Tremor Severity during Free Body Movements," was published in Sensors. Resting tremor, or the rhythmic shaking of muscles while relaxed, is among the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), and some patients also have active tremor, or shaking while engaged in voluntary muscle movement. Others motor symptoms are slowness of movement (bradykinesia), rigidity, and problems with posture, balance, and gait.