Engineering Commons^™

Towards The Development Of Wearable Tremor Suppression Systems Combining Functional Electrical Stimulation And Mechanical Actuation, Zahra Habibollahi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most prevalent neurological disorder, is characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms including tremor. Wearable tremor suppression devices (WTSDs), have shown promising results for tremor reduction, using functional electrical stimulation (FES) or active actuators. However, results and study procedures are not consistent in the literature. Although stimulations below and above motor threshold can suppress tremor, the mechanisms of the first is still not clear, and the second might lead to muscle fatigue and discomfort over time. While active actuators have shown better results for tremor suppression, they are often heavy and bulky for daily use. Lastly, …

A Wearable Mechatronic Device For Hand Tremor Monitoring And Suppression: Development And Evaluation, Yue Zhou

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Tremor, one of the most disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), significantly affects the quality of life of the individuals who suffer from it. These people live with difficulties with fine motor tasks, such as eating and writing, and suffer from social embarrassment. Traditional medicines are often ineffective, and surgery is highly invasive and risky. The emergence of wearable technology facilitates an externally worn mechatronic tremor suppression device as a potential alternative approach for tremor management. However, no device has been developed for the suppression of finger tremor that has been validated on a human.

It has been reported in …

Investigation Of Visual Perceptions In Parkinson's Disease And The Development Of Disease Monitoring Software, Matthew Bernardinis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Non-motor Parkinson’s Disease (PD) symptoms are substantial factors of PD arising throughout disease stages, yet their diagnosis and monitoring remain a challenge. Sensory abnormalities in PD occur across sensory systems and disease stages, contributing to disease-related impairments. However, the extent of symptoms is unknown, with inadequate monitoring and treatment options furthering disease management difficulties. The current work studies movement-independent visual perceptions of time, displacement and velocity in PD patients across disease stages using levodopa, deep brain stimulation (DBS), or no PD therapy. Perceptual tasks were conducted using a computer-generated graphical device designed with a focus on simplicity and flexibility. Perception …