Measuring Tremor with Consumer Devices

In 2020, I co-authored a study comparing consumer-device accelerometers with a laboratory reference for measuring tremor in people with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor.

The research question

Could widely available phones and wearables produce useful tremor measurements for clinical research? The study compared seven consumer devices with a laboratory-grade accelerometer in ten participants with Parkinson’s disease and ten with essential tremor.

Findings and limits

Peak tremor frequency measurements were comparable to the laboratory reference within the study’s limits of agreement. Amplitude results depended more on the device, condition and placement. Measurements made with different device types or positions should not be treated as interchangeable.

The study supports further use of consumer devices for tremor measurement, including research outside the laboratory. Its small sample and measurement conditions matter when interpreting the results; it does not establish that any consumer device can replace clinical assessment.

My connection to the work

I brought experience in digital health and clinical-trial projects to this collaborative publication. It reflects a part of technology work I value: testing a practical idea against a reference and being clear about the limits of the evidence.

Read the linked publication for the methods, authorship and full results.