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Updated: Nov 16, 2025
A Method for Quantifying Upper Limb Performance in Daily Life Using Accelerometers
Published on: April 21, 2017
Quantifying upper limb tremor in people with multiple sclerosis using Fast Fourier Transform based analysis of wrist
Stefan Teufl1, Jenny Preston2, Frederike van Wijck1
1School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.
Introduction:
Tremor is a disabling symptom of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The development of objective methods of tremor characterisation to assess intervention efficacy and disease progression is therefore important. The possibility of using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) method for tremor detection was explored.
Methods:
Acceleration from a wrist-worn device was analysed using FFTs to identify and characterise tremor magnitude and frequency. Processing parameters were explored to provide insight into the optimal algorithm. Participants wore a wrist tri-axial accelerometer during 9 tasks. The FAHN clinical assessment of tremor was used as the reference standard.
Results:
Five people with MS and tremor (57.6 ± 15.3 years, 3 F/2M) and ten disease-free controls (42.4 ± 10.9 years, 5 M/5F) took part. Using specific algorithm settings tremor identification was possible (peak frequency 3-15Hz; magnitude greater than 0.06 g; 2 s windows with 50% overlap; using 2 of 3 axes of acceleration), giving sensitivity 0.974 and specificity 0.971 (38 tremor occurrences out of 108 tasks, 1 false positive, 2 false negatives). Tremor had frequency 3.5-13.0 Hz and amplitude 0.07-2.60g.
Conclusions:
Upper limb tremor in people with MS can be detected using a FFT approach based on acceleration recorded at the wrist, demonstrating the possibility of using this minimally encumbering technique within clinical practice.
