Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
An Objective and Child-friendly Assessment of Arm Function by Using a 3-D Sensor
Published on: February 12, 2018
Longitudinal Assessment Reveals Stage-Dependent Utility of Digital Motor Markers in SCA1
Ilse H J Willemse1, Teije van Prooije1, Kirsten C J Kapteijns1
1Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Background:
Clinical trials in spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) require objective, quantifiable outcome measures sensitive to changes in disease severity.
Objectives:
The objective was to study the sensitivity to change of digital gait biomarkers in SCA1 over a 1-year period.
Methods:
Seventeen SCA1 patients and 15 controls walked 30 seconds wearing 3 sensors at 3 walking speeds (preferred, slow, fast) at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Relationship between gait and clinical measures was analyzed, and standardized response means (SRMs) were calculated.
Results:
Toe-off angle (TOA), variability in TOA, speed, and stride length showed significant responsiveness (SRM = -1.15, 0.61, -0.77, and -0.85). TOA, which correlated most strongly with ataxia severity and patient-reported outcomes, demonstrated higher sensitivity to change than Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) in early-stage disease at preferred walking speed. Gait variability measures lacked sensitivity, possibly due to the short recording period.
Conclusions:
Digital gait biomarkers are promising outcomes in future clinical trials in SCA1, but their sensitivity to change appears stage dependent.
