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Poster Presentations
Author(s) -
Zhao, Yan,
Heida, Tjitske,
nekes, Johan Hendrik,
van Wezel, Richard Jack Anton
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/mds.26295
Subject(s) - medicine , psychology
Objective: To develop and test applications for rhythmic cueing in the Google Glass to improve gait in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Background: Smartglasses, a type of wearable computer that possesses the features of a smart phone but can be worn like conventional glasses, offer new possibilities for therapy and continuous monitoring during activities of daily living. In particular, smartglasses like the Google Glass can provide visual and auditory cues that have long been used to improve gait disturbances in people with PD. Using motion and feature tracking, smartglasses can personalize cues based on the state of the user and/or the user environment. Methods: To approach the design of cueing applications (app) for smartglasses in a usercentered way, we conducted an online survey in the Netherlands on the attitudes, needs, and preferences of people with PD with respect to this new technology. We then developed a mobile app for the Google Glass, using visual (e.g. flashing square and optical flow) and auditory (e.g. metronome) cues to modulate gait. In a pilot study with 10 patients with PD, the effectiveness of the app was tested to investigate 1) the feasibility of using the Google Glass as a cueing device and 2) which cueing modalities (e.g. audio, visual, or optic flow) were most effective in improving gait. The subjects were asked to navigate obstacle courses that simulate real life situations, including those known to induce freezing of gait (FOG). The temporal frequency of the cues were specified by the user according to their preferred walking speed. Various kinematic parameters were measured. Results: The respondents of the survey were overall very enthusiastic about smartglasses' potential to help them selfmanage their motor symptoms. Preliminary results with the custom cueing app for the Google Glass showed that temporal variability in gait and the frequency of FOG was reduced. Gait velocity and stride length need not necessarily be increased to improve the quality of gait. Consequently, patients gained more confidence in walking. In descending order, patients preferred the use of the metronome, followed by visual cues and optic flow. Conclusions: Patients with PD were generally positive about the prospect of using smartglasses to facilitate activities of daily living. Smartglasses like the Google Glass have potential as a rhythmic cueing device