This study used a device worn as a belt to monitor the movement of people with and without PD as they slept. Individuals with PD moved less at night than healthy control participants. A group of healthy controls who were at 'high risk' of PD based on ultrasound imaging of the midbrain and subtle symptoms (slight motor signs and smell loss) did not differ in their levels of night-time movement from the lower-risk controls.

The fact that the group of 'high-risk' individuals did not have reduced night-time movement does not preculde the use of movement-tracking for early diagnosis of PD as the incidence of undiagnosed PD in this group may still have been too low to see a significant effect.

The DynaPort device used in the study:

Accelerometer-based quantitative analysis of axial nocturnal movements differentiates patients with Parkinson's disease, but not high-risk individuals, from controls 

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2015 Jan;86(1):32-7. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2013-306851. Epub 2014 Apr 28

Abstract

Introduction There is a need for prodromal markers to diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD) as early as possible. Knowing that most patients with overt PD have abnormal nocturnal movement patterns, we hypothesised that such changes might occur already in non-PD individuals with a potentially high risk for future development of the disease.

Methods Eleven patients with early PD (Hoehn & Yahr stage ≤2.5), 13 healthy controls and 33 subjects with a high risk of developing PD (HR-PD) were investigated. HR-PD was defined by the occurrence of hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra in combination with prodromal markers (eg, slight motor signs, olfactory dysfunction). A triaxial accelerometer was used to quantify nocturnal movements during two nights per study participant. Outcome measurements included mean acceleration, and qualitative axial movement parameters, such as duration and speed.

Results Mean acceleration of nocturnal movements was lower in patients with PD compared to controls. Frequency and speed of axial movements did not differ between patients with PD and controls, but mean size and duration were lower in PD. The HR-PD group did not significantly differ from the control group in any of the parameters analysed.

Conclusions Compared with controls, patients with PD had an overall decreased mean acceleration, as well as smaller and shorter nocturnal axial movements. These changes did not occur in our potential HR-PD individuals, suggesting that relevant axial movement alterations during sleep have either not developed or cannot be detected by the means applied in this at-risk cohort.

PMID: 24777169

 

Authors: Louter M¹, Maetzler W², Prinzen J³, van Lummel RC³, Hobert M², Arends JB⁴, Bloem BR⁵, Streffer J⁶, Berg D², Overeem S¹, Liepelt-Scarfone I².

Author information

• ¹Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Sleep Medicine Centre Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands.
• ²Department for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centre of Neurology, German Center of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
• ³McRoberts, Den Haag, The Netherlands.
• ⁴Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
• ⁵Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
• ⁶Janssen Research and Development, Janssen-Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Beerse, Belgium.