Assessing digital crutch-assisted walking in people with Parkinson’s Disease: an exploratory study

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, tremor, rigidity, and postural instability, which impair gait and balance. As PD progresses, gait disturbances-including reduced speed, shorter strides, and freezing of gait (FoG)-increase the risk of falls and limit functional independence. While wearable sensors are commonly used to monitor gait in PD, there has been limited research on technological devices designed to assist mobility in this population. This study explored the feasibility of mCrutch, a sensorized crutch system, in supporting gait in individuals with PD. Participants wore 7 inertial measurement units. They completed a 2-minute walking task, clinical scales, and a survey to get feedback using mCrutch. This observational study is designed to: (i) explore the feasibility and acceptance of using the mCrutch system in people with PD and (ii) investigate whether clinical and gait parameters are related to mCrutch use during walking. Preliminary results indicated high user satisfaction, supporting the feasibility of mCrutch in clinical settings. Preliminary observations among the five participants suggest a potential correlation between mCrutch usage and gait speed and cadence. Additionally, mCrutch metrics may be associated with balance and clinical scales, particularly MDS-UPDRS scores, suggesting that higher disease severity corresponds to greater reliance on the device. Future work will focus on expanding the sample size to validate these preliminary findings.Clinical Relevance- This study preliminarily shows the potential of sensorized assistive devices like mCrutch to monitor and assist mobility in individuals with idiopathic PD.