Distributed intelligent sensor network for the rehabilitation of Parkinson's patients.

The coordination between locomotion and respiration of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients is reduced or even absent. The degree of this disturbance is assumed to be associated with the disease severity [S. Schiermeier, D. Schäfer, T. Schäfer, W. Greulich, and M. E. Schläfke, "Breathing and locomotion in patients with Parkinson's disease," Eur. J. Physiol., vol. 443, No. 1, pp. 67-71, Jul. 2001]. To enable a long-term and online analysis of the locomotion-respiration coordination for scientific purpose, we have developed a distributed wireless communicating network. We aim to integrate biofeedback protocols with the real-time analysis of the locomotion-respiration coordination in the system to aid rehabilitation of PD patients. The network of sensor nodes is composed of intelligent network operating devices (iNODEs). The miniaturized iNODE contains a continuous data acquisition system based on microcontroller, local data storage, capability of on-sensor digital signal processing in real time, and wireless communication based on IEEE 802.15.4. Force sensing resistors and respiratory inductive plethysmography are applied for motion and respiration sensing, respectively. A number of experiments have been undertaken in clinic and laboratory to test the system. It shall facilitate identification of therapeutic effects on PD, allowing to measure the patients' health status, and to aid in the rehabilitation of PD patients.