A novel device to analyse bradykinesia and tremor

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Using a non-invasive novel device to analyse bradykinesia and tremor in different movement disorders

• IRAS ID

  141870

• Contact name

  Stephen Smith

• Contact email

  stephen.smith@york.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of York

• Research summary

  The primary purpose of this study is to investigate bradykinesia and tremor. Bradykinesia is the medical term for slowness of movement. It is a core symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and is also a feature of other conditions affecting movement such as Huntington’s disease (HD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and essential tremor (ET). As people age their movements can slow down – the relationship of this to the bradykinesia seen in a movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease is not clearly understood.

  Bradykinesia is a result of several different abnormalities of movement, for example reduced speed and impaired rhythm. Medical professionals often find it difficult to be sure whether or not bradykinesia is present when they examine patients with movement disorders, especially when symptoms are mild.
  
  Participants in this study will be asked to perform simple movements of the hands and arms whilst wearing sensors on the index finger and thumb. The information collected by the sensors will be analysed in great detail using a device developed at The University of York. We aim to use this device to study over 300 people with different types of movement disorders as well as people without a movement disorder. We hope that the new information we are able to gain about bradykinesia will allow us to understand exactly what bradykinesia is, how it differs amongst different movement disorders and how it is related to the slowing of movement seen with advancing age.

  By answering these questions and others, we hope this study will help medical professionals to make a correct diagnosis sooner when encountering someone with a movement disorder. A greater understanding of bradykinesia may also help other researchers as they continue to investigate the causes of movement problems in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/YH/0143

• Date of REC Opinion

  10 Jun 2014

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion