Wearable Technology Unveils Early Signs of Parkinson's Disease

Murdoch University researchers report that wearable-derived turning metrics — notably, turning speed — may signal Parkinson’s disease nearly nine years before clinical diagnosis.

In a multi-site cohort of roughly 1,000 adults aged >50 followed for about a decade, investigators captured turning behavior with a lower-back sensor as participants walked a corridor, with peak angular velocity during turns being the primary measurement.

A machine-learning model combining age, sex, and wearable-derived turning data discriminated future cases from non-cases with an AUC of 80.5%.

Replication, multi-device standardization, and prospective implementation studies are required before broader clinical adoption.