Objective: To develop and evaluate an objective method for the quantitative assessment of Parkinsonian rigidity using wearable inertial sensors and surface electromyography (EMG) during longitudinal daily monitoring.
Background: Rigidity is a cardinal motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and is traditionally evaluated through subjective clinical examination. Such assessments are limited to short clinical encounters and may not capture motor fluctuations related to medication cycles. Wearable sensing technologies combining inertial measurement units (IMUs) and EMG enable continuous and objective monitoring of motor function and have the potential to provide digital biomarkers for PD. However, quantitative approaches specifically targeting rigidity using multimodal signals in longitudinal recordings remain limited.
Method: A new multimodal system PARAGIT SLEEVE ® integrating inertial sensors and surface EMG was used to record upper limb movements in 15 individuals with PD HY I- III. Data were collected repeatedly throughout one entire day, capturing different medication states. Signal processing included filtering, synchronization of EMG and inertial signals, and extraction of quantitative features such as EMG amplitude and kinematic parameters derived from acceleration and angular velocity signals. These metrics were analysed to characterize rigidity-related motor patterns and their variation across medication conditions.
Results: Preliminary analyses demonstrate that multimodal features derived from EMG and inertial signals can capture rigidity-related motor alterations. Differences in muscle activation patterns and movement dynamics were observed across medication states, suggesting sensitivity of the proposed metrics to motor fluctuations. The combined analysis of EMG and kinematic signals improved the characterization of rigidity-related motor behaviour.
Conclusion: The integration of wearable inertial sensors and EMG enables objective quantification of Parkinsonian rigidity during daily monitoring. This multimodal approach may support the development of digital biomarkers for continuous assessment of motor symptoms and treatment response in PD.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
C. Travassos Valdez, C. Marques Alves, F. Sanchez Cuesta, M. Filfil, C. Molina Carrillo, S. Fernandez Rojo, J. Romero Muñoz. Quantitative Assessment of Rigidity in Parkinson’s Disease Using Wearable Inertial Sensors and Electromyography During Daily-Life Monitoring [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2026; 41 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/quantitative-assessment-of-rigidity-in-parkinsons-disease-using-wearable-inertial-sensors-and-electromyography-during-daily-life-monitoring/. Accessed October 1, 2026.« Back to 2026 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/quantitative-assessment-of-rigidity-in-parkinsons-disease-using-wearable-inertial-sensors-and-electromyography-during-daily-life-monitoring/