From Emotions to Mood Disorders: A Survey on Gait Analysis Methodology

Mood disorders affect more than 300 million people worldwide and can cause devastating consequences. Elderly people and patients with neurological conditions are particularly susceptible to depression. Gait and body movements can be affected by mood disorders, and thus they can be used as a surrogate sign, as well as an objective index for pervasive monitoring of emotion and mood disorders in daily life. Here we review evidence that demonstrates the relationship between gait, emotions and mood disorders, highlighting the potential of a multimodal approach that couples gait data with physiological signals and home-based monitoring for early detection and management of mood disorders. This could enhance self-awareness, enable the development of objective biomarkers that identify high risk subjects and promote subject-specific treatment.