Gait Speed

Early gait speed changes in Parkinson's Disease

PI: Jay Nutt
Funded by Kinetics Corporation

The ability to accurately determine the location of individuals in the home would allow assessment of a wide range of mobility measures. A gradual decline in walking speed may precede the onset of Parkinson symptoms, or may be predictive of the later onset of dementia. Altered patterns of movement around the home may reflect changes in an ability to perform activities of daily living, indicating a need for additional in-home assistance. We are working with HomeFree, deploying their active RFID system complemented by other sensors to determine the activities associated with mobility, including the speed of walking. The resulting data are used to infer subtle changes in typical behavior and variability that may indicate impending problems, and to avert potential adverse events.