Smart Wristbands to Assess Sleep Disorder Detection in Parkinson’s
New research from SEFAS’ and Neuro-SysMed’s DIGI.PARK study suggests wearable technology may be important to achieve more objective screening for REM sleep behaviour disorder.
Published:
Parkinson’s disease (PD) often comes with an unexpected nighttime challenge: REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD), a condition where people physically act out their dreams. Given this sleep disorder’s link to faster PD progression, early and accurate detection is critical. Traditionally, clinicians rely on questionnaires like the REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ) to identify probable cases (pRBD). But self-reported answers can be unreliable, especially when symptoms fluctuate or patients have memory issues. People with PD often struggle with cognitive impairment, making self-reporting tricky.
Therefore, Lisa Aaslestad et al. examined the potential of the Empatica E4 wristband to objectively support RBD assessment alongside the self-reported RBDSQ.
Over 149 nights, 14 people with Parkinson’s wore the Empatica E4 while sleeping. The team analysed data tracking how often and how intensely participants moved during the night. They wanted to see if digital data could complement the questionnaire.
Results
The sensor data revealed more frequent nighttime movements in those flagged by RBDSQ as having pRBD, movements that the questionnaires alone didn’t fully capture. The researchers then tested what happens when combining the questionnaire answers with the wristband data for four movement-related questions in the questionnaire. This showed high internal consistency, meaning that when they combined sensor data with questionnaire responses, the overall assessment was accurate and consistent.
Why is this important?
Wearable tech could reduce subjective bias and detect underreported or unrecognized symptoms. A simple wristband could help doctors catch early signs of RBD, without the need for expensive overnight sleep labs. This approach could make screening more equitable, objective, and accessible for thousands living with Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, and, combined with other studies exploring preventive measures and more effective treatment (external link), enable treatment at an earlier stage.
Read the publication here
Authors: Lisa Aaslestad, Brice Marty, Monica Patrascu, Haakon Reithe, Bettina S. Husebo, Rolf Moe Nilssen, Erika Sheard, Simon Kverneng, Charalampos Tzoulis, and Line Iden Berge.