Assessment of spatio-temporal gait parameters using a novel wearable motion capture system

Wang Mengyi, Li Li, Roberto M. de Freitas, Takuyuki Endo, Taishin Nomura, Toru Nakamura

Abstract: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. This study used a novel pants-type wearable motion capture system to collect and extract spatio-temporal gait parameters. The spatial parameters, specifically both the magnitude and variances of spatial distances between both ankles, showed a significantly negative correlation with the clinical severity assessed by the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, indicating that both step sizes and variations decreased with worsening severity. Moreover, the disorganization of bilateral coordination assessed by gait asymmetry was also correlated with the degree of severity. In conclusion, a combination of spatio-temporal parameters would be helpful for an objective evaluation of the severity of PD.