Gait, wrist, and sensors: Detecting freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease from wrist movement

Abstract

We investigate the correlation between wrist movement and freezing of the gait in Parkinsons disease. Detecting such freezes allows real-time monitoring to reduce the risk of falls in subjects with Parkinson's. While most of research focuses on placing inertial sensors on lower limb, i.e., foot, ankle, thigh, lower back, we focus on the wrist as an alternative placement. Commonly worn accessories at the wrist such as watches or wristbands are easier to be accepted and worn by elderly users, in special subjects with motor problems. Experiments on data from 11 subjects show that freezing of gait episodes can be detected using the wrist movements, with a freeze hit-rate of 90% and 83% specificity in a subject-dependent evaluation scheme. This suggests that wrist sensors can be a feasible alternative to the cumbersome placement on the legs.