Objective: We present data collected for the BlueSky Project which aims to develop novel assessments of motor and non-motor function using mobile and wearable technology.

Background: A major challenge for the management of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and for clinical trials investigating new treatment strategies is to accurately monitor the severity of symptoms over time. Wearable sensors can enable the long-term monitoring of patients in the home and community settings. However, more data is needed to develop robust algorithms to accurately estimate symptom severity.

Methods: This project encompasses 4 studies that investigate motor and non-motor monitoring of healthy volunteers and people with PD experiencing motor fluctuations. In Study 1, 60 healthy volunteers donned several inertial, EMG, and ECG sensors. They were asked to perform speech tasks, a battery of scripted motor tasks, and activities of daily living (ADLs) twice in a laboratory setting. In Study 2, 35 people with PD were asked to perform the same data collection protocol as in Study 1 on two occasions: once in a practically-defined OFF state, and once in an ON state. In Study 3, 25 people with PD donned the same sensors as in Studies 1&2 plus sensors to record galvanic skin response. Subjects performed 5 repetitions of a battery of motor and speech tasks as well as ADLs over a complete medication cycle (6 hours). Subjects came back for a second visit where semi-scripted and unscripted activities were performed in a simulated apartment setting over 6 hours of continuous monitoring using the same sensors. In Study 4, 34 people with PD were asked to perform two weeks of continuous home monitoring while wearing similar devices. During both weeks, they completed a medication log, motor diary, and QOL instruments. Both weeks of monitoring began and ended with clinic visits where they performed scripted motor tasks as well as the MDS-UPDRS.

Results: 60 healthy volunteers (aged 23-69; 33 females) and 94 people with PD were recruited (aged 42-80; 37 females; years since diagnosis 1-24 years; Hoehn & Yahr 1-3). Motor UPDRS scores were obtained in the ON and OFF states for 60 subjects. 50 subjects exhibited dyskinesia.

Conclusions: Multi-day studies using wearable sensors, even those requiring long laboratory data collections, are feasible in patients with PD. The current project has yielded large amounts of clinically relevant data that will enable us to develop robust algorithms for the estimation of motor and non-motor symptom severity.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-bluesky-project-monitoring-motor-and-non-motor-characteristics-of-people-with-parkinsons-disease-in-the-laboratory-a-simulated-apartment-and-home-and-community-settings/