Objective: To evaluate the extent to which data derived from smartphone-based testing and passive monitoring are related to what recently diagnosed Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients (<2y) consider to be important aspects of their health status and QoL (PDQ39).

Background: PD symptom evaluation using remote digital monitoring approaches is evolving rapidly. A critical aspect of this development is the determination of how digital measures are related to PD signs that are important to patients, as quantified by QoL scales.

Method: Data from 205 recently diagnosed (<2y) PD patients participating in the Phase II study of prasinezumab (PASADENA) were analyzed. All patients completed the PDQ39 at screening, and performed daily active tests (n=10) and continuous passive monitoring using the Roche PD Mobile Application v2. One a priori defined sensor feature was extracted per active test, averaged over a two-week interval and compared with PDQ39 domain scores (Spearman’s correlations) and on individual PDQ39 items between non-impaired (‘0’) vs. impaired (‘>=0’) patients (Mann-Whitney U-tests).

Results: More than half of the 205 PD patients rated themselves as having no impairment on 30/39 PDQ39 items (truncation of range). Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Communication, and Mobility PDQ39 domains significantly correlated with associated sensor features (e.g. ADL and dominant hand dexterity; all r >= 0.25, all p < 0.001), while, as expected, the domains of Bodily Discomfort, Social Support, Stigma, and Emotional Wellbeing did not significantly correlate with any sensor feature (all r < 0.2). All smartphone sensor features significantly distinguished non-impaired vs. impaired groups based on PDQ-39 item scores (e.g.  problems walking half a mile and decreased turn speed in active and passive monitoring).

Conclusion: Motor performance and behavior as measured by a smartphone-based remote monitoring approach provides data which is related to the patients’ own perception of disease and QoL. These findings are notable in the context of the overall low rate of self-reported impairments. The pattern of relationships supports the convergent/divergent validity of the digital sensor data from active tests and passive monitoring. This study thereby provides preliminary and indirect evidence of the clinical relevance of this digital biomarker approach.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/digital-biomarker-sensor-feature-data-reflect-quality-of-life-judgements-pdq39-in-recently-diagnosed-parkinsons-disease-patients/