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Age and Ageing Advance Access originally published online on June 1, 2007
Age and Ageing 2007 36(4):395-399; doi:10.1093/ageing/afm061
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Copyright © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

A novel computer-based technique for the assessment of tremor in Parkinson's disease

N. M. Aly1,, J. R. Playfer2, S. L. Smith3 and D. M. Halliday3

1 Consultant Physician, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK
2 Consultant Physician, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University, Hospitals, Liverpool, UK
3 Lecturer, Electronics Department, York University, UK

Address correspondence to: N. M. Aly. Tel: 0151-525 5980; Fax: 0151-529 3837/2420. Email: nmaly{at}Doctors.org.uk

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease and the diagnosis of its idiopathic form remains challenging. The diagnosis of idiopathic form is based on clinical features which can have poor sensitivity with about 25% of patients diagnosed as having the disease actually having other conditions. In this study we assess the suitability and clinical value of a low cost computer-based system as an aid to diagnosis of PD, in particular the presence of tremor. All participants (12 patients and 10 controls) performed a shape-tracing task using a graphic tablet attached to a laptop. To assess the presence of tremors in the collected data, a statistical spectral analysis of the moment-to-moment fluctuations in the position signal of the output from the digitising tablet was performed. This allowed the comparison of power spectrums obtained from the control and patient responses respectively. A peak in log power between the 5 Hz & 6 Hz can clearly be identified in the patient's spectrum and is indicative of Parkinson's related tremor and no similar peak could be seen in the control's spectrum, suggesting this type of sequential task and automated data analysis may be useful in the diagnosis of tremor.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease, tremor, assessment, computer-based, sequential task, elderly

Received 29 June 2006; accepted in revised form 27 March 2007.


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