Title : 
Linking UPDRS Scores and Kinematic Variables in the Leg Agility Task of Parkinsonians
         
        
            Author : 
Giuberti, Matteo ; Ferrari, Giorgio ; Contin, Laura ; Cimolin, Veronica ; Azzaro, Corrado ; Albani, Giovanni ; Mauro, Alessandro
         
        
            Author_Institution : 
Dept. of Inf. Eng., Univ. of Parma, Parma, Italy
         
        
        
        
        
        
            Abstract : 
In this paper, by characterizing the Leg Agility (LA) task, which contributes to the evaluation of the degree of severity of the Parkinson´s Disease (PD), through kinematic variables (including the angular amplitude and speed of thighs´ motion), we investigate the link between these variables and Unified Parkinson´s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores. Our investigation relies on the use of a few body-worn wireless inertial nodes and represents a first step in the design of a portable system for automatic detection of the degree of severity (in terms of UPDRS score) of PD. The experimental investigation is carried out considering 24 PD patients.
         
        
            Keywords : 
biomedical measurement; body sensor networks; diseases; gait analysis; inertial systems; kinematics; portable instruments; UPDRS scores; Unified Parkinson´s Disease Rating Scale scores; angular amplitude; automatic detection; body-worn wireless inertial nodes; degree of severity; kinematic variables; leg agility task; portable system design; thigh motion speed; Electronic mail; Kinematics; Parkinson´s disease; Principal component analysis; Sensors; Thigh; Trajectory; Leg Agility; Parkinson´s Disease; UPDRS scores; inertial sensors;
         
        
        
        
            Conference_Titel : 
Wearable and Implantable Body Sensor Networks (BSN), 2014 11th International Conference on
         
        
            Conference_Location : 
Zurich
         
        
            Print_ISBN : 
978-1-4799-4932-8
         
        
        
            DOI : 
10.1109/BSN.2014.18