In order to detect freezing of gait of Parkinson's patients automatically, a system based on inertial measurement unit to detect freezing of gait for Parkinson's patients is established. The two inertial measurement units are respectively fixed on the left and right ankles of the patient to be measured, the freezing index is calculated by windowed Fourier transform, the freezing threshold is calculated based on the freezing index during normal walking, and the freezing index and the freezing threshold are compared to complete the detection of freezing of gait. The experimental results show that the number of freezing of gait occurrences in Parkinson's patients is accurately detected, and it has high sensitivity and specificity, which can assist doctors to objectively assess the patient's condition.
Diagnostic Equipment ; standards ; Gait Disorders, Neurologic ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Parkinson Disease ; complications ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Walking

The aim of this study is to elucidate the clinical spectrum and frequency of non-motor symptoms during off periods (NMOS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with motor fluctuation. We compared clinical characteristics between PD patients with motor symptoms only (M-off) and those with both motor and non-motor symptoms (NM-off) during off periods. The association of NMOS with parkinsonian clinical characteristics was also investigated. Sixty-seven consecutive PD patients of both M-off and NM-off groups were included in this study. We reviewed medical records, interviewed the patients, and administered a structured questionnaire. NMOS is classified into three categories: autonomic, neuropsychiatric and sensory. The frequency of NMOS and their individual manifestations were assessed. Of 67 patients with off symptoms, 20 were M-off group and 47 NM-off group. Among NMOS, diffuse pain was the most common manifestation, followed by anxiety and sweating. There were no significant differences between M-off and NM-off groups with regard to age, duration of disease and treatment, interval between onset of parkinsonian symptoms and off symptoms and off periods. Patients taking higher dosage of levodopa had fewer NMOS. NMOS is frequent in PD. Comprehensive recognition of NMOS can avoid unnecessary tests and is important for optimal treatment in PD.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Levodopa/therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease/*diagnosis/etiology ; Prospective Studies ; Questionnaires ; Sensation Disorders/diagnosis ; Severity of Illness Index

OBJECTIVETo formulate the classification criteria of disability weight for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) in China and to evaluate the disability weight of AD and PD in population over 60 years old in Beijing.

METHODSBased on the criteria of Global Burden of Disease (GBD), a seven-grade disability classification was used to develop a new disability classification criteria for AD and PD in terms of Delphi method in China. Using the data from epidemiological survey for AD and PD in Beijing in 1997 and new criteria, mean disability weights of AD and PD in population over 60 years old in Beijing were obtained.

RESULTSThe mean disability weights of Alzheimer's disease was 0.40 in population over 60 years old who received treatment in Beijing and 0.52 in those without treatment while the mean disability weights of Parkinson's disease were 0.30 in the patient receiving treatment and 0.23 in those without treatment.

CONCLUSIONDifference between the result of this study and the data of GBD study in the mean disability weight for AD and PD was noticed.

Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Cognition Disorders ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Cost of Illness ; Disability Evaluation ; Disabled Persons ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease ; epidemiology ; Recognition (Psychology)

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of TCM treatment according to syndrome differentiation in en-hancing curative effect and reducing side-effect of madopa in patients with Parkinson' s disease (PD).

METHODSThe trial was conducted in 101 PD patients with a prospective stratified randomized and controlled method. They were assigned to group 1 in which the patients of rigidity were treated with Pabing Recipe 1 (PR1) plus Madopa tablets, group 2 with those of tremor given Pabing Recipe 3 (PR3) plus Madopa tablets, and group 3 given a fixed Chinese recipe plus Madopa tablets as the control. The treatment course for all the groups was 3 months. Clinical efficacy was evaluated with unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) and the adverse reactions observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the 4 partial scores and the total score of UPDRS decreased significantly in group 2 (P<0.01), and the former of them and the total score declined in group 1 and 3 (P<0.01), the improvement was better in group 1 and 2 than that in group 3 (P<0.01); the improvement rate in group 1 to 3 was 95.5%, 100.0% and 83.7%, respectively, which was significantly higher in group 1 and 2 than that in group 3 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONTCM treatment according to syndrome differentiation could improve the clinical symptoms and reduce complications in PD patients, which could enhance curative effect and reduce side-effect of madopa.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Benserazide ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dopamine Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Synergism ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Levodopa ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy ; Prospective Studies ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome