A system for analysis of tremor in patients with parkinson's disease based on motion capture technique

Abstract

Resting tremor is one of the primary motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. In this paper we analyze the occurrence of tremor in Parkinson's disease by using a system for measurements of kinematic data of upper limbs. The experimental group includes seven PD patients during standing. Analysis is based on kinematic measurements done by using multimodal motion capture (MOCAP) system for registration of 3D positions of body markers, ground reaction forces and electromyography signals. All patients taking part in examination have undergone deep brain stimulation surgical treatment. Examination involved comparisons of tremor parameters across four conditions, where stimulator was turned ON/OFF and medication was ON/OFF. Obtained results confirm statistically significant differences of certain tremor parameters between different experimental conditions. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.