Impaired Bed Mobility: Quantitative Torque Analysis With Axial Inertial Sensors

Abstract

Difficulty in turning in bed is rated as the most troublesome night-time symptom among Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Aim: To develop a practical objective method for home assessment of a patient’s ability to turn in bed. Methods: Nocturnal parameters and torque of self-turning in bed from 17 PD couples were assessed and compared using a wearable axial sensor for two nights in their homes. Results: The torque of axial rotation which indicates the ability of PD patients to turn in bed was significantly less than their spouses (p < 0.001). Significant correlations were observed between the torque of turning in bed and total unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale score (r = 0.71; p = 0.001), and total Nocturnal Akinesia Dystonia and Cramp score (r = 0.634; p = 0.006). Conclusion: Our study confirms a decreased ability in turning in PD.

KEYWORDS :

• akinesia
• axial rotation
• inertial sensors
• nocturnal hypokinesia
• Parkinson’s disease
• torque

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at:www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.2217/nmt-2017-0016

Acknowledgements

Bhidayasiri R, Sringean J and Thanawattano C contributed to the study concept and design. All authors participated in data analysis and interpretation. Bhidayasiri R was involved in the preparation and review of the manuscript and approved the final version prior to submission.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Bhidayasiri R receives research grant from the National Research Council of Thailand, Thailand Research Fund and Chulalongkorn University, is an advisory board for Britannia Pharmaceuticals, is an editorial board member of Parkinsonism and Related Disorders and Journal of the Neurological Sciences, and receives royalty from Wiley–Blackwell and Humana Press. Sringean J and Thanawattano C report no disclosures. This study was supported by the grant from the National Research Council of Thailand (GRB_APS_05_59_30_04), the Health System Research Institute of Thailand Fund (59-012), the International Research Network grant (RDG5950152) and Chulalongkorn Academic Advancement Fund into its 2nd Century Project of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.