PDF herunterladen
Methods Inf Med 2009; 48(06): 589-594
DOI: 10.3414/ME9243
Original Articles
Schattauer GmbH

Development of a System for Measurement and Analysis of Tremor Using a Three-axis Accelerometer

N. Mamorita
1   Medical Informatics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan
,
T. Iizuka
2   Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan
,
A. Takeuchi
1   Medical Informatics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan
,
M. Shirataka
1   Medical Informatics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan
,
N. Ikeda
1   Medical Informatics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan
› Institutsangaben
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf



05. November 2009

Publikationsdatum:
17. Januar 2018 (online)

    Lizenzen und Reprints

Summary

Objectives: The aim of the study was to develop a low-cost and compact system for analysis of tremor using a three-axis accelerometer (the Wii Remote (Nintendo)). To analyze tremor, we hypothesized that the influence of gravitational acceleration should be separated from that of movement. This hypothesis was tested experimentally and we also attempted to record and analyze tremor using our system in a clinical ward.

Methods: A system for tremor measurement and analysis was developed using the three-axis accelerometer built into the Wii Remote. The frequency and amplitude of mechanical oscillation were calculated using methods for frequency analysis of the axis of largest variance and an estimation of tremor amplitude.

Results: The system consists of a program for measurement and analysis of Wii Remote acceleration (Tremor Analyzer), a Wii Remote, a Bluetooth USB adapter and a Web camera. The Tremor Analyzer has a GUI (graphical user interface) that is divided into five segments. The sampling period of the analyzer is 30 msec. To confirm the hypothesis, mechanical oscillations were fed to the Wii Remote. The peak frequency of the power spectrum and the frequency of the oscillation generator were in good agreement, except at 1 Hz (0.01 G) and 2 Hz (0.02 G). With a change in the sum of squares of the three axes from 1.0 to 1.8 (G), the estimated and generated amplitude (0.3 cm) were in close agreement.

Conclusions: This system using a Wii Remote is capable of analyzing frequency and estimated amplitude of tremor between 3 Hz and 15 Hz.

Keywords

Tremor measurement - three-axis accelerometer - Wii Remote (Nintendo)
 

  • References

  • 1 Findley LJ. Classification of tremors. J Clin Neurophysiol 1996; 13 (02) 122-132.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 2 Deuschl G, Krack P, Lauk M, Timmer J. Clinical neurophysiology of tremor. J Clin Neurophysiol 1996; 13 (02) 110-121.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 3 Oppel F, Umbach WU. A quantitative measurement of tremor. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1977; 43 (06) 885-888.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 4 Behling K, Bleichert A, Scarperi M. A method for the measurement of tremor, and a comparison of the effects of tocolytic beta-mimetics. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1978; 39 (03) 203-207.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 5 Pimlott RM, Gibson JM, Brown IT, Kennard C. A new ambulatory monitoring system for tremor. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1983; 56 (06) 694-695.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 6 Roels H, Malchaire J, Van Wambeke JP, Buchet JP, Lauwerys R. Development of a quantitative test for hand tremor measurement Study of factors influencing the response in a control population. J Occup Med 1983; 25 (06) 481-487.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 7 Bacher M, Scholz E, Diener HC. 24 hour continuous tremor quantification based on EMG recording. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1989; 72 (02) 176-183.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 8 Van Someren EJ, van Gool WA, Vonk BF, Mirmiran M, Speelman JD, Bosch DA. et al. Ambulatory monitoring of tremor and other movements before and after thalamotomy: a new quantitative technique. J Neurol Sci 1993; 117 1–2 16-23.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 9 Dunnewold RJ, Jacobi CE, van Hilten JJ. Quantitative assessment of bradykinesia in patients with Parkinson’s disease. J Neurosci Methods 1997; 74 (01) 107-112.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 10 Fahrenberg J, Foerster F, Smeja M, Muller W. Assessment of posture and motion by multichannel piezoresistive accelerometer recordings. Psychophysiology 1997; 34 (05) 607-612.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 11 Spieker S, Boose A, Breit S, Dichgans J. Long-term measurement of tremor. Mov Disord 1998; 13 (03) 81-84.
    PubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 12 van Someren EJ, Vonk BF, Thijssen WA, Speelman JD, Schuurman PR, Mirmiran M. et al. A new actigraph for long-term registration of the duration and intensity of tremor and movement. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 1998; 45 (03) 386-395.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 13 Norman KE, Edwards R, Beuter A. The measurement of tremor using a velocity transducer: comparison to simultaneous recordings using transducers of displacement, acceleration and muscle activity. J Neurosci Methods 1999; 92 1–2 41-54.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 14 Manson AJ, Brown P, O’Sullivan JD, Asselman P, Buckwell D, Lees AJ. An ambulatory dyskinesia monitor. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2000; 68 (02) 196-201.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 15 Hoff JI, Wagemans EA, van Hilten BJ. Ambulatory objective assessment of tremor in Parkinson’s disease. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2001; 24 (05) 280-283.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 16 Brunetti FJ, Rocon E, Pons JL, Manto M. The tremor coherence analyzer (TCA): a portable tool to assess instantaneous inter-muscle coupling in tremor. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2004; 1: 61-64.
    PubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 17 Thielgen T, Foerster F, Fuchs G, Hornig A, Fahrenberg J. Tremor in Parkinson’s disease: 24-hr monitoring with calibrated accelerometry. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 2004; 44 (03) 137-146.
    PubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 18 Salarian A, Russmann H, Wider C, Burkhard PR, Vingerhoets FJ, Aminian K. Quantification of tremor and bradykinesia in Parkinson’s disease using a novel ambulatory monitoring system. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2007; 54 (02) 313-322.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 19 Caccia MR, Osio M, Galimberti V, Cataldi G, Mangoni A. Propranolol, clonidine, urapidil and trazodone infusion in essential tremor: a double-blind crossover trial. Acta Neurol Scand 1989; 79 (05) 379-383.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 20 Van Someren EJ. Actigraphic monitoring of movement and rest-activity rhythms in aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. IEEE Trans Rehabil Eng 1997; 5 (04) 394-398.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 21 Dunnewold RJ, Hoff JI, van Pelt HC, Fredrikze PQ, Wagemans EA, van Hilten BJ. Ambulatory quantitative assessment of body position, bradykinesia, and hypokinesia in Parkinson's disease. J Clin Neurophysiol 1998; 15 (03) 235-242.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 22 Hoff JI, van den Plas AA, Wagemans EA, van Hilten JJ. Accelerometric assessment of levodopa-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord 2001; 16 (01) 58-61.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 23 Elble RJ, Higgins C, Elble S. Electrophysiologic transition from physiologic tremor to essential tremor. Mov Disord 2005; 20 (08) 1038-1042.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 24 Davis TL. WiiMote Game Controller as a Device to Study Movement Disorders (cited). Available from: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00802191.
    PubMed
  • 25 Makikawa M, Imai K, Shindoi T, Tanooka K, Iizumi H, Mitani H. Microprocessor-based memory device for ambulatory heart rate and physical activity recording. Methods Inf Med 1994; 33 (01) 94-96.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 26 Murakami D, Makikawa M. Ambulatory behavior map, physical activity and biosignal monitoring system. Methods Inf Med 1997; 36 4–5 360-363.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 27 Elble RJ. Gravitational artifact in accelerometric measurements of tremor. Clin Neurophysiol 2005; 116 (07) 1638-1643.
    CrossrefPubMedSuche in Google Scholar
  • 28 Watts RL, Koller WC. editors. Movement disorders: Neurologic Principles & Practice. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Health Professions Division; 2004
    Suche in Google Scholar
  • 29 Fahn S, Jankovic J. editors. Principles and Practice of Movement Disorders. Churchill Livingstone; 2007
    Suche in Google Scholar