Use of Smartphones and Wrist-Worn Devices for Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review of Commercially Available Technologies

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 25; no. 12; p. 3732
• Main Authors: Triolo, Gabriele, Ivaldi, Daniela, Lombardo, Roberta, Quartarone, Angelo, Lo Buono, Viviana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14.06.2025; MDPI
• Subjects: activity trackers; Care and treatment; Diseases; Humans; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; mHealth; Movement disorders; Parkinson Disease - diagnosis; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson's disease; Patient compliance; Sensors; Smart phones; Smartphone; Smartphones; smartwatch; Smartwatches; Systematic Review; Telemedicine; UPDRS; Usability; Wearable computers; Wearable Electronic Devices; Wrist; smartwatch; smartphone; usability; activity trackers; mHealth; Parkinson’s Disease; UPDRS
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s25123732

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia. The accurate and continuous monitoring of these symptoms is essential for optimizing treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes. Traditionally, clinical assessments have relied on scales and methods that often lack the ability for continuous, real-time monitoring and can be subject to interpretation bias. Recent advancements in wearable technologies, such as smartphones, smartwatches, and activity trackers (ATs), present a promising alternative for more consistent and objective monitoring. This review aims to evaluate the use of smartphones and smart wrist devices, like smartwatches and activity trackers, in the management of PD, assessing their effectiveness in symptom evaluation and monitoring and physical performance improvement. Studies were identified by searching in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Only 13 studies of 1027 were included in our review. Smartphones, smartwatches, and activity trackers showed a growing potential in the assessment, monitoring, and improvement of motor symptoms in people with PD, compared to clinical scales and research-grade sensors. Their relatively low cost, accessibility, and usability support their integration into real-world clinical practice and exhibit validity to support PD management.