title: Listenmee and Listenmee smartphone application: synchronizing walking to rhythmic auditory cues to improve gait in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Evidence supports the use of rhythmic external auditory signals to improve gait in PD patients (Arias & Cudeiro, 2008; Kenyon & Thaut, 2000; McIntosh, Rice & Thaut, 1994; McIntosh et al., 1997; Morris, Iansek, & Matyas, 1994; Thaut, McIntosh, & Rice, 1997; Suteerawattananon, Morris, Etnyre, Jankovic, & Protas , 2004; Willems, Nieuwboer, Chavert, & Desloovere, 2006). However, few prototypes are available for daily use, and to our knowledge, none utilize a smartphone application allowing individualized sounds and cadence. Therefore, we analyzed the effects on gait of Listenmee®, an intelligent glasses system with a portable auditory device, and present its smartphone application, the Listenmee app®, offering over 100 different sounds and an adjustable metronome to individualize the cueing rate as well as its smartwatch with accelerometer to detect magnitude and direction of the proper acceleration, track calorie count, sleep patterns, steps count and daily distances. The present study included patients with idiopathic PD presented gait disturbances including freezing. Auditory rhythmic cues were delivered through Listenmee®. Performance was analyzed in a motion and gait analysis laboratory. The results revealed significant improvements in gait performance over three major dependent variables: walking speed in 38.1%, cadence in 28.1% and stride length in 44.5%. Our findings suggest that auditory cueing through Listenmee® may significantly enhance gait performance. Further studies are needed to elucidate the potential role and maximize the benefits of these portable devices.
authors.affiliation: Division of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Department of General Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; Division of Functional Neurosurgery, Department of Neurology, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: williamomarcontreraslopez@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: William Omar Contreras
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.affiliation: Brainmee, Calle Santiago de Compostela 28, 1-C 28034 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos Andres Escalante
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Higuera
authors.affiliation: Division of Functional Neurosurgery, Department of Neurology, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Erich Talamoni
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Fonoff
authors.affiliation: Division of Functional Neurosurgery, Department of Neurology, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carolina de Oliveira
authors.initials: Cde O
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Inomed Medizintechnik GmbH, Im Hausgruen 29 79312, Emmendingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Albicker
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders and Pain Clinic - CIMAD, Carrera 19A # 82-14, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Jairo Alberto Espinoza
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D040421:Cell Phone; D003463:Cues; D004867:Equipment Design; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063731:Mobile Applications; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking
keywords: Auditory cue; Gait; Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease; Intelligent glasses system; Rhythmic auditory stimulation; Smartphone app; Smartwatch with accelerometer