Assessing mobility at home in people with early Parkinson’s disease using an instrumented Timed Up and Go test

Gait and mobility problems are prominent features of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and are difficult to observe clinically in early stages of PD. We previously reported that gait changes were measurable in early to mid-stage PD subjects, when we used inertial sensors during an instrumented Timed Up and Go test (iTUG). With the advent of wearable inertial sensors, home assessment of mobility has become possible. We tested six people with early PD and eight control subjects using the iTUG in the home and laboratory. Our objectives were to 1) investigate the feasibility of testing subjects at home, and 2) compare performance at home versus laboratory. We found that home iTUG testing is feasible and the patients with PD were more affected than the healthy control subjects when tested at home.