Automatic Measurement of Postural Abnormalities With a Pose Estimation Algorithm in Parkinson's Disease

J Mov Disord. 2022 May;15(2):140-145. doi: 10.14802/jmd.21129. Epub 2022 Jan 19.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to develop an automated and objective tool to evaluate postural abnormalities in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.

Methods: We applied a deep learning-based pose-estimation algorithm to lateral photos of prospectively enrolled PD patients (n = 28). We automatically measured the anterior flexion angle (AFA) and dropped head angle (DHA), which were validated with conventional manual labeling methods.

Results: The automatically measured DHA and AFA were in excellent agreement with manual labeling methods (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.95) with mean bias equal to or less than 3 degrees.

Conclusion: The deep learning-based pose-estimation algorithm objectively measured postural abnormalities in PD patients.

Keywords: Camptocormia; Parkinson’s disease; Pose estimation.