Visualization of Parkinsonian, Essential and Physiological Tremor Planes in 3D Space

• Published in: Physiological research Vol. 69; no. 2; pp. 331 - 337
• Main Authors: Jombík, Peter, Spodniak, Pavel, Bahýľ, Vladimír, Necpál, Ján
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Praha Institute of Physiology 01-04-2020; Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences
• Subjects: Accelerometers; Basal ganglia; Central nervous system diseases; Movement disorders; Neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson's disease; Physiology; Statistical analysis; Time series; Tremor; Tremor (Muscular contraction)
• ISSN: 0862-8408; 1802-9973
• DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.934066

Based on the fact that tremors display some distinct 3D spatial characteristics, we decided to visualize tremor planes in 3D space. We obtained 3-axial linear accelerometer signals of hand tremors from 58 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), 37 with isolated resting tremor (iRT), 75 with essential tremor (ET), and 44 healthy volunteers with physiological tremor (Ph). For each group analysis was done with subsequent spatial 3D regression of the input data i.e. along the x, y and zaxes; the projected vector lengths in the individual (vertical transversal XY, vertical longitudinal XZ and horizontal YZ) reference frame planes and their angles. Most meaningful and statistically significant differences were found in the analyses of the 3D vector lengths. The tremor of the PD and the iRT group was oriented mainly in the horizontal YZ plane. The tremors of the patients with ET and Ph were oriented approximately in the midway between the all three referential planes with less tilt toward the vertical longitudinal XZ plane.