Design and Testing of Sensor Configurations for a Wearable System to Assess Bradykinesia and Tremor in Parkinson's Disease

Bradykinesia is a key symptom of Parkinson’s disease, characterized by slowed initiation and execution of movement, along with reduced range and rhythm. Tremor is another well-known Parkinson’s disease symptom, most noticeable in the hands. This study, part of an internship project, aimed to develop and evaluate optimal placements for Electromyography (EMG) and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors on a wearable glove to objectively assess bradykinesia in Parkinson’s disease. The first author performed four hand movement tasks, Finger Tapping, Hand Movement, Flexion and Extension, and Pronation and Supination, under three simulated conditions: Healthy, Bradykinesia, and Tremor. EMG electrodes were placed on specific hand muscles, while IMU sensors were positioned on the wrist. Data processing and feature extraction were performed in R. Results indicated that the proposed sensor configuration effectively captured relevant signals, allowing accurate movement detection across all three conditions.