Session Information
Date: Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Session Title: Phenomenology and clinical assessment of movement disorders
Session Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm
Location: Exhibit Hall located in Hall B, Level 2
Objective: To assess the capability of the smart watch (Apple Watch®) as a simple monitoring tool of motor fluctuation in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Background: Thanks to technology development, sensors which otherwise would have been restricted to use in expensive tools like medical devices are becoming smaller and cheaper, and therefore more accessible to consumers. Apple Watch is the highest selling SMART watch having an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a pulse meter. In the outpatient clinic the available time is often too short to understand a patient’s daily motor fluctuations, but these sensored wearable devices may add useful information for communication between patients and doctors.
Methods: We conducted an exploratory study in the use of Apple Watch for patients with PD. Patients with clinically diagnosed PD with wearing off were enrolled in the study. Participants recorded a paper-based disease diary and wore Apple Watch for 2 weeks. Later participants also used the Apple Watch application (app) to record disease status in addition to the paper-based diary. The data obtained by Apple Watch were analyzed with the records of the disease diary.
Results: Participants who could use Apple Watch and record the paper-based diary as mentioned were few (1 in 5) and the data were insufficient for analysis. After we started using the Apple Watch app the missing data significantly decreased and the app got favorable responses from the participants. Pedometer in Apple Watch was useful to predict the patients wearing off although its diagnostic value was limited. Both patients and doctors thought their communication was enhanced by using Apple Watch.
Conclusions: Our experimental study suggests Apple Watch could be used as an easier disease diary and simple monitor of patients’ motor fluctuations. It is anticipated that further technology and application development will enable true wearable disease monitoring without the need for specialized medical devices.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
H. Ohtsubo, H. Iwaki, R. Andou, T. Tsujii, H. Babe, N. Nishikawa, M. Nagai, M. Nomoto. Is Apple Watch a new hope for patients with Parkinson’s disease? [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2016; 31 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/is-apple-watch-a-new-hope-for-patients-with-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2016 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/is-apple-watch-a-new-hope-for-patients-with-parkinsons-disease/