Lifecorder: A new device for the long-term monitoring of motor activities for Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Objective. To quantitatively evaluate motor activity, its fluctuations, and drug effects in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), the Lifecorder®, a new monitoring device, was attached to a group of patients for several weeks. This enabled the continuous recording of motor activity in ten scaled magnitudes at two-minute intervals for 6 weeks. Patients and Methods. Thirteen patients with PD who required dopamine receptor agonist therapy were monitored with Lifecorder, and seven healthy subjects served as the control group. The data obtained with this device correlated well with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn-Yahr grading. The dose of cabergoline, a D2-receptor agonist, was increased every 2 weeks, until optimum improvement was achieved. Results. By adding cabergoline, the mean UPDRS improved from 40.5 to 28.4, which was significant. In parallel, the mean daily walking count (WC) also increased from 2,459 to 3,315 steps (p<0.01) and movement-related calorie consumption (MCC) increased from 56 to 74 kcal (p<0.05). UPDRS thus correlated well with WC and MCC (p<0.05) obtained with this device. The improvement ratio of WC and MCC of each individual patient was compared with that of UPDRS. WC, and MCC shifted in parallel with UPDRS with one exception. The daily time-dependent fluctuation of motor activity was clearly shown by the Excel-generated graphs to improve with D-agonist therapy. In contrast to enhanced daytime activities, nocturnal restfulness was also clearly documented with this device. Conclusion. The unique properties of Lifecorder make this device a useful adjunct to the UPDRS for the objective evaluation of Parkinsonian motor activity. The device has a significant advantage over conventional clinical scales, as daytime as well as nocturnal motor activity can be objectively evaluated over long time periods ranging from one hour to one month, and the magnitude of motor activity is quantifiable in relation to the time-course.