WEARnCARE, a decision support system to enhance monitoring of motor performance in Parkinson’s disease patient’s journey

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor and cognitive functions. While pharmacological treatments play a crucial role in managing symptoms, rehabilitation therapies are gaining attention for their potential to stabilize and slow disease progression. In this study, we assessed the impact of a motor rehabilitation program using the WEARnCARE system, a wearable technology designed to provide objective and quantitative assessments of motor performance in a sample of 53 patients with PD. Our findings indicate that the overall effect of the intervention was limited, likely due to the advanced age of participants and the progressive stage of their condition. However, the stability observed in the measured outcomes suggests that rehabilitation may help maintain functional abilities rather than improve them. Given the degenerative nature of PD, preventing further decline is a meaningful outcome. Future research should explore the integration of cognitive rehabilitation alongside motor therapy, as neurorehabilitation approaches could enhance the overall benefits for patients. The WEARnCARE system proves to be a valuable decision-support tool, offering clinicians objective and quantifiable insights into patients' motor performance.Clinical Relevance - This study highlights the importance of rehabilitation in PD management and suggests that a multimodal therapeutic approach could be key to optimizing patient outcomes. The objective assessment of motor performance can represent a cornerstone in PD management to overcome variability that currently affects clinical evaluations, both for diagnosis and monitoring of rehabilitation treatment, and it can be achieved with a decision support tool such as the WEARnCARE system