Accuracy of Markerless Motion Capture Evaluation in Parkinson's Disease After DBS

Body motion evaluation (BME) by markerless systems is increasingly being considered as an alternative to traditional marker-based technology because they are faster, simpler, and less expensive. They are increasingly used in clinical settings in patients with movement disorders, however, the wide variety of systems available make results conflicting. The objective of this study was to determine if a markerless 3D motion capture system is a useful instrument to objectively differentiate between Parkinons's Disease (PD) patients with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in On and Off state and controls; and its correlation with the evaluation by means of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Six PD patients who underwent DBS bilaterally in the subthalamic nucleus were evaluated using BME and UPDRS-III with DBS turned On and Off. BME of 16 different movements in six controls paired by age and sex was compared with PD patients with DBS in On and Off states. Kinematic data obtained with this markerless system could contribute to the discrimination between PD patients and healthy controls. This emerging technology may help to clinically evaluate PD patients more objectively.