Technology for measuring freezing of gait: Current state of the art and recommendations

• Published in: Journal of Parkinson's disease Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 19 - 40
• Main Authors: Mancini, Martina, McKay, J Lucas, Cockx, Helena, D’Cruz, Nicholas, Esper, Christine D, Filtjens, Benjamin, Heimler, Benedetta, MacKinnon, Colum D, Palmerini, Luca, Roerdink, Melvyn, Young, William R, Hausdorff, Jeffrey M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.02.2025; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Gait; Gait Analysis - instrumentation; Gait Analysis - methods; Gait Disorders, Neurologic - diagnosis; Gait Disorders, Neurologic - etiology; Gait Disorders, Neurologic - physiopathology; Humans; Machine Learning; Movement disorders; Neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson Disease - complications; Parkinson Disease - diagnosis; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson's disease; inertial measurement unit; Parkinson's disease; freezing; gait; review; accelerometer; technology; machine learning
• ISSN: 1877-7171; 1877-718X
• DOI: 10.1177/1877718X241301065

This report summarizes the existing literature on the use of technology for the assessment of freezing of gait (FOG) as well as the use of technology to provide insights into the mechanisms of FOG in people with Parkinson's disease. Specifically, this work was carried out for the 3rd International Workshop on Freezing of Gait in Jerusalem in 2023. This review focuses on the most used technologies to quantitatively assess FOG in a laboratory environment and describes the technologies that hold promise for assessing FOG in daily life. Examples of implementation of machine learning algorithms are provided as well as algorithmic biases. Lastly, a standardized assessment using inertial measurement units during a clinical protocol is proposed and a 5-year outlook is discussed. We anticipate this review will help move the field forward in the coming years.