At the NIH: Testing a device to objectively measure PD symptoms


I am always on the lookout for a clinical trial in which I might participate. I was intrigued by what I had heard about the Kinetics Clinical Trial. People with PD (PWP) would use some electronic equipment to have their symptoms objectively measured by some kind of machine (as opposed to having their symptoms subjectively measured by a human). So I did a little research to get an idea about what this entails. The Kinetics Foundation website states: “The Objective Parkinson’s Disease Measurement (OPDM) System is comprised of both Dexterity and Mobility measurement devices.” There is a device that the PWP takes home and uses once a week. The PWP returns to the NIH clinic once a month for 6 months for testing. The “dexterity measure device” consists of both a “keyboard” and “pegboard” text. At the clinic I learned how to use the device. Once a week at home, I will use this device first while I am “off” and then when I am “on” to measure upper extremity bradykinesia, dexterity, and movement variability. My data is stored to a thumb drive. The machine is small and I packed it into my carry-on bag to take home. There are two mobility tests: the “Postural Sway Test” and the “Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test.” Both of these tests are done at the NIH clinic while wearing a “movement monitor.”	I was tested first while “off” (before I took my meds that morning), and then an hour after I took my meds, I was tested while “on.” The short video above shows me standing for the sway test and walking in the TUG test. For complete information on how to contact the NIH to participate in one of their clinical trials, visit our web page . And to research other clinical trials that you may be eligible for, visit Fox Trial Finder.
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