Evaluation of Motor and Cognitive Performance in People with Parkinson’s Disease Using Instrumented Trail-Making Test

Gerontology

Fecha de publicación: Abril de 2021

Autores: Mishra R · Park C · Zhou H · Najafi B · Thrasher T.A.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000515940

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) progressively impairs motor and cognitive performance. The current tools to detect decline in motor and cognitive functioning are often impractical for busy clinics and home settings. To address the gap, we designed an instrumented trail-making task (iTMT) based on a wearable sensor (worn on the shin) with interactive game-based software installed on a tablet. The iTMT test includes reaching to 5 indexed circles, a combination of numbers (1–3) and letters (A&B) randomly positioned inside target circles, in a sequential order, which virtually appears on a screen kept in front of the participants, by rotating one’s ankle joint while standing and holding a chair for safety. By measuring time to complete iTMT task (iTMT time), iTMT enables quantifying cognitive-motor performance.