Validity and sensitivity of instrumented postural and gait assessment using low-cost devices in Parkinson's disease.

This was a convenience sample from one hospital, so the findings may not apply to other clinics or populations. Only 6 participants were at H&Y II.5 and only 2 were at H&Y I.5, which were merged into the H&Y I group, so stage-specific findings are unstable. All participants had to walk 5 m without assistance, had no dyskinesia and no significant cognitive impairment, so people with more advanced or cognitively impaired Parkinson's disease were not represented. Healthy controls were recruited mainly from relatives and caregivers, which may have made the control group different from a general healthy population. Data from 3 healthy participants during dual-task gait could not be retrieved and were not included in the analysis. The devices tested were discontinued, so the exact hardware may not be available for current practice. The authors suggest that the H&Y I-I.5 group performing better than controls may reflect compensation or the Hawthorne effect, not a true clinical advantage.

The work was funded by Fundació la Marató de TV3, the European Commission and Alter Laboratories.

Do not conclude that these devices are a ready-made clinic test for Parkinson's disease. The H&Y I-I.5 group performed better than healthy controls, and the devices tested are discontinued, so current hardware and further validation are needed.