Wearable walking assistant for freezing of gait with environmental IoT monitoring: a contribution to the discussion

Rafael A. Bernardes*, Filipa Ventura, Hugo Neves, Maria Isabel Fernandes, Pedro Sousa

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, significantly increasing in the last three decades. Worldwide, seven to ten million people are affected by PD. In people living with PD, freezing of gait (FoG) significantly impacts activities of daily living, potentially leading to falls, injuries, and loss of autonomy. FoG prevalence rates vary widely, reaching at least 50% of patients with PD. Current therapeutic options have limited effectiveness, and their complement with innovative technology-based solutions in the real world is demanded to enhance daily functioning for people living with PD. This article provides a narrative review of current technological developments for people living with PD and, derived from that evidence, presents a perspective on integrating wearable technology and IoT to support telemonitoring and self-management of people living with PD in their daily living environment. Complementing current therapeutic options with technology-based solutions in PD patients' real-world environment is crucial to enhancing the quality of life of people living with PD. In that way, wearable technology and IoT might constitute resources of excellence in seamless monitoring and self-management in people's home environments.
Original languageEnglish
Article number861621
JournalFrontiers in Public Health
Volume10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Jun 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Freezing of gait
  • Internet of things
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Self-management
  • Wearables

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Wearable walking assistant for freezing of gait with environmental IoT monitoring: a contribution to the discussion'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this