Brain Health Motion Analysis Laboratory

The Emory Brain Health Center Motion Analysis Lab is seeking participants with Parkinson's disease and caregivers active on Facebook for a remote study on lived experiences through shared narratives.

Congratulations to our PhD student Jeanne Powell on receiving the 2023 Annual Symposium LEAD Fund Award to attend the American Medical Informatics Association conference!

AMIA LEAD Fund Trainee Awardees 2023 Awardees Annual Symposium

Decoding Holmes' Tremor

Holmes' tremor, a puzzling condition with limited data, has begun revealing its secrets. Here at Emory University's Movement Disorders Clinic, a retrospective study unveiled fresh insights. Quantitative kinematics data illuminated nuances of this elusive tremor, potentially setting it apart from Parkinson's and essential tremors.

The study examined six patients clinically identified with Holmes' tremor. Their tremor exhibited an average frequency of 3.9 Hz, notably distinguishing it during action. This novel quantitative approach promises to redefine diagnosis and shed light on the complex landscape of tremor disorders.

Read more below 👇

Cracking the Code of Tremor Disorders: Study Reveals Functional Tremor's Unique Frequency

We used 3-D motion analysis to dissect tremor disorders. Functional tremor emerged distinct with its action-driven frequency, separating it from Parkinson’s and essential tremors. This quantitative approach promises refined diagnoses and deeper insights into these complex conditions.

Details in poster below 👇

Probing Deep Brain Stimulation's Effect on Parkinson's Gait

Parkinson's Disease's complexities have led researchers to study its treatment avenues. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) holds promise, but its impact on gait remains unclear. Using advanced analysis, our study focused on 10 DBS-treated patients. Results showed post-surgery reductions in forward velocity and cadence, impacting agility. These findings could enhance patient selection for DBS, offering hope for more targeted treatments.

Read more from our ANA poster below 👇

Unveiling the Impact of Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation on Gait in Essential Tremor

In our recent study, we dissected the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on essential tremor patients' gait. While DBS significantly reduced tremor scores, its impact on walking patterns was minimal. Gait speed, stride length, and step width showed no noteworthy changes. These insights highlight DBS's promise in tremor management, offering a glimpse into the complex interplay between treatment and gait dynamics.

For more, check out the AAN2023 poster below!

Unraveling Parkinson’s: Freezing-of-gait (FOG), a perplexing symptom often resistant to meds. Conventional FOG analysis falls short in capturing complexities.

Enter AI! Our deep learning model decodes FOG via full-body kinematics, on/off-med states, and severity. Exciting avenues for movement disorder phenotyping lie ahead! 🧠🚶‍♀️

Read more below 👇

Decoding Parkinson's: A groundbreaking study delves into the way we move to classify different subtypes of the disease.

By analyzing full-body kinematics during activities like walking, researchers identified key patterns distinguishing between Postural Instability and Gait Disorder (PIGD) and Tremor Dominant (TD) subtypes. This breakthrough offers a more comprehensive understanding of Parkinson's progression, potentially guiding tailored treatments.

Read more below 👇

Another cool feature on the Lab from Oracle!

Emory University uses Oracle Cloud to help fight Parkinson’s disease Research team develops ML using video and wearable tech that detects abnormal movements to help fight against conditions such as Parkinson's Disease.

Step into the future of healthcare with a captivating moment from Fantastic Mind S4E2: Focused Ultrasound.

Witness the extraordinary journey of our patient at Emory University, as he undergoes groundbreaking focused ultrasound treatment for essential tremor. No surgery, no incisions—just innovation.

In this snippet, delve into the Motion Analysis Lab where cutting-edge motion capture technology, recording at an astounding 120 times per second, quantifies every movement, allowing us to have a precise pre-procedure measurement of the patient's tremor and gait.

Your Fantastic Mind Season 4 Episode 2: Focused Ultrasound People with tremor issues can have difficulties with basic tasks like eating, writing and speaking. This episode explores a revolutionary, non-invasive treat...

Our team was recently featured by Oracle to show how we use the Oracle Cloud to develop wearable tech and monitor conditions like Parkinson's disease.

Read the story:

Emory University uses Oracle Cloud to monitor disorders like Parkinson’s Emory University is developing a wearable device human activity recognition HAR system that detects abnormal movements in the wearer’s everyday activity.