An open technology towards long-term camptocormia monitoring at home

• Applicants: Privatdozent Dr. Nils Gerd Margraf; Professor Dr. Robert Rieger
• Subject Area: Biomedical Systems Technology ; Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 510140239

Camptocormia is a symptom frequently associated with neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease. It is characterised by an often disabling pathological forward flexion of the trunk which is not directly related to anatomical deficiency. This camptocormia angle (CA) is a significant indicator of the stage and severity of camptocormia. The severity of camptocormia is believed to vary over the course of a day, and possibly depends on the accumulated strain due to tasks performed by a patient. Accurate measurement of CA is essential for the design and monitoring of targeted intervention and therapy. In this project we address several scientific questions which bear relevance in the design of wearable electronic systems for long-term patient monitoring in a natural home environment in general, as well as specific questions regarding the application to the assessment of camptocormia. We aim to devise system hardware and algorithms which are able to quantify the state and progress of camptocormia. The continuous measurement will allow data-driven evaluation of essential parameters. If it was possible to identify a defined parameter set from the recordings in real-life application, it would pave new ways to the understanding of this symptom and could serve as an indicator that quantifies therapeutic success in people who undergo intervention. We examine whether the angle recorded over the course of the day is related to the subjective complaints and compare the measured values with the disability scales. This requires long-term assessment (in excess of 24 hours) in a patient’s natural environment. We seek to establish that long-term monitoring using the developed system yields a more accurate assessment than conventional static single measurement. We will also gain insight into the role of recovery. Furthermore, home monitoring is expected to improve the relevance of the data compared to monitoring in the clinic. We propose to investigate which technical developments enable reliable, patient-accepted and mostly autonomous monitoring at home. This includes questions concerning system design, the algorithm for data collection and machine-learning classification based on trunk models, as well as physical design with respect to patient acceptance and wearability. Further practical concerns, including the suppression of movement artefacts, will also be addressed. We conduct technology-focused research which eventually leads to the realization of a wearable electronic setup that is reliable and convenient to use and yields traceable data that can be linked to task-dependent progression of camptocormia. The researched hard- and software will be made available to other researchers, potentially establishing an open standard for camptocormia assessment. A limited number of camptocormia patients will already be equipped with our technology in this study and pave the way for more elaborate clinical studies in a potential future project.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants