A summary index derived from Kinect to evaluate postural abnormalities severity in Parkinson’s Disease patients

npj Parkinson’s Disease, 2022 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-022-00368-x · Published: July 20, 2022

Simple Explanation

Postural abnormalities are a common motor complication in Parkinson's Disease (PD). This study introduces a new method, using the Kinect depth camera, to create an Index for Postural Abnormalities (IPA). The IPA aims to quantify and assess the severity of postural issues in PD patients. It combines several measurements obtained from the Kinect, offering a comprehensive evaluation of posture. The study found that IPA scores correlate with clinical measures of PD severity and can distinguish between healthy individuals and those with PD, as well as differentiate PD patients with and without postural abnormalities.

Study Duration

October 2018 to January 2020

Participants

70 PD patients and 30 age-matched healthy controls

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
IPA was significantly correlated to the clinical manifestations of PD patients, including MDS-UPDRS scores, PDQ-39, and BBS.
2
The optimal cut-off value of IPA for distinguishing PD from HCs was 12.96 with a sensitivity of 97.14% and specificity of 100.00%.
3
An IPA cut-off value of 20.14 distinguished between PD patients with and without postural abnormalities with a sensitivity of 77.78% and specificity of 73.53%.

Research Summary

This study introduces the Index for Postural Abnormalities (IPA), derived from Kinect data, to quantify postural abnormalities in PD patients. IPA is designed to summarize trunk segment alignment during standing. IPA showed value in distinguishing PD patients from healthy controls and differentiating PD patients with and without postural abnormalities. IPA is a useful synthetic index for evaluating postural abnormalities in PD, offering a global assessment of posture.

Practical Implications

Early PD Recognition

The IPA can aid in the early recognition of PD due to its ability to distinguish between healthy individuals and those with PD.

Treatment Monitoring

The index can be used to monitor the effects of treatment on postural abnormalities in PD patients, offering a quantitative measure of progress.

Personalized Interventions

IPA can help in identifying patients who are more likely to develop postural abnormalities, enabling personalized interventions to prevent worse outcomes.

Study Limitations

1
The sample size was relatively small, with only 100 participants.
2
The study did not verify the results with prospective research.
3
The sample enrolled was only composed by a total of 100 participants and it could not be representative of the general population.

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