Monitoring how people turn while walking may help detect Parkinson's, study based on wearables data

New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) An analysis of data collected from wearable devices has revealed that monitoring how individuals turn while walking can help in identifying Parkinson's disease, an ageing-related condition that affects movement.

Researchers, including those from the University Hospital of Kiel in Germany and Australia's Murdoch University, tracked 1,051 participants over the age of 50 for a decade.

The participants wore a single sensor on their lower back, which measured turning movements they made while walking down a 20-metre hallway, including angle, duration, and speed.

A 'slower peak angular velocity' -- how quickly one turns at their fastest point -- was linked to a higher risk of developing the neurodegenerative disorder.

The findings, published in the journal Annals of Neurology, also show that turning speeds began to decline roughly nine years before Parkinson's disease was clinically diagnosed in the 23 participants after five years of follow-up on average.

The findings, published in the journal Annals of Neurology, also show that turning speeds began to decline roughly nine years before 23 of the participants wse was clinically diagnosed in the 23 participants who were, on average, five years . Turning speeds may thus be one of the earliest detectable motor signs of Parkinson's disease, the researchers said.

"This research opens a vital window for early intervention," author Brook Galna, associate professor at Murdoch University's school of allied health, said.

"By detecting changes in turning speed through wearable sensors, in combination with other early signs of Parkinson's, we can identify individuals at risk long before symptoms become clinically apparent," he said.

The authors wrote, "(A) slower peak angular velocity at baseline was associated with a higher hazard of Parkinson's disease diagnosis, with deviations from controls emerging approximately 8.8 years before diagnosis." "Peak angular velocity during turning shows promise identifying and tracking motor progression in the pre-diagnostic phase of Parkinson's disease," they said.

Galna said, "Earlier detection of people at risk of developing Parkinson's will speed the discovery and testing of neuroprotective treatments designed to slow disease progression and keep people living independently for longer." PTI KRS KRS MG MG