Real-PD Trial: Development of Clinical Prognostic Models for Parkinson's Disease

Background: Long-term management of Parkinson's disease (PD) does not reach its full potential due to lack of knowledge about disease progression. The Real-PD study aim to evaluate the feasibility and compliance of usage of wearable sensors in PD patients in real life. Moreover, an explorative analysis concerning activity level, medication intake and mood will be done. Methods: Overall, 1000 PD patients and 250 physiotherapist will be enrolled in this observational study. Dutch PD patients will be recruited across the country and an assessment will be performed using a short version of the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) protocol. Moreover, participants will wear a set of medical devices (Pebble Smartwatch, fall detector) and they will use a smartphone with The Fox Insight App (Android app), 24/7, during 13 weeks. Primary measures of interest are: 1) physical activity, falls and tremor, measured by the axial accelerometers embedded in the Pebble watch and fall detector; and 2) medication intake and mood reports measured by patients' self-report in the Android app. To measure motor impact, an assessment will be performed by physiotherapists who are all certified to perform the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). Discussion: Management of PD patients is complex and appears to be a challenging task for health care professionals. The main reason is the lack of knowledge in the disease pattern. This issue could be solved by a long term follow-up of patients' during their everyday life, and wearable medical devices can act as a way to collect data about every day life activities. Therefore, the Real-PD study will be a first contribution in increasing the lack of knowledge in disease progression, developing a new medical decision system and improving PD patients' care.