Treating Gait Disturbance in Parkinson’s Disease with Sensing Technology and Telerehabilitation

Parkinson’s disease specific gait disorders, such as shuffling and freezing of gait, significantly impair social participation. Visual or auditory stimulation can improve mobility, but continuous stimulation may lead to habituation. Predictive sensing is needed to optimize stimulation timing. The purpose of this preliminary experiment is to measure acceleration data using an insole during gait disturbances and to investigate the effects of vibration stimulation applied by a vibration stimulation device. This experiment showed that specialized sensing technology and AI utilization are effective for advancing treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The feasibility and effectiveness of incorporating these sensing and stimulation technologies into a tele-rehabilitation system and daily life were also suggested.