Mobilise-D was a 5-year, EU-funded project that developed a method to measure mobility using wearable technology. The Mobilise-D consortium, co-ordinated by Digital Health, Ageing Innovation and Inclusion Theme Co-Lead Professor Lynn Rochester, collected data from over 2,300 people to create the world’s largest study of digital mobility assessment. In Newcastle, over 60 people with Parkinson’s were recruited, as well as a control group.
Our ability to walk is an important indicator of our health and well-being. Ageing and chronic health conditions such as Parkinson’s can lead to a loss of mobility. In order to treat mobility loss, we need to be able to accurately measure change in mobility. Current assessments of mobility in a clinic are limited and do not reflect real day-to-day mobility. Wearable digital technology, such as a small device worn on the body, can provide a simple and accurate measure of how people move in their daily life.
The digital device used in Mobilise-D measured many different aspects of mobility such as the amount and the speed of walking. The study data have been analysed by the study researchers to provide an accurate measure of real-world mobility, and how this is related to disease progression.
The Mobilise-D method is now being tested in clinical trials for Parkinson’s treatments. It is expected that the research will not only revolutionise the assessment of mobility, but also accelerate the development of new medications and patient care.
The event was a great opportunity to celebrate and share the results of the study with participants and the public. Attendees were able to listen to talks by researchers, charity representatives, study participants as well as special guest speaker Newcastle Labour MP, Dame Chi Onwurah. A highlight of the event was a poem written by a research participant Brian Phillipson, who is living with Parkinson’s, called the ‘The Importance of Walking’. Theme Members Dr Silvia Del Din and Professor Alison Yarnall were presenting results of the study, how mobility is measured and what the data tells us.
An interactive area with workshop stands featured specialist equipment that can be used to measure gait and mobility, and a digital device demonstration on the devices used in the Mobilise-D study.The Mobilise-D Cinema showcased some of the short videos the consortium have created to share the work of the Mobilise-D project.
Stands were presented by the NIHR Newcastle BRC Patient and Public Engagement Manager Judith McGuinness, the Patient and Public Engagement Lead for the Digital Health, Ageing Innovation and Inclusion Theme Dr Riona McArdl, and Theme member Jack Lumsdon, as well as representatives from the Parkinson's Research Registry, local and national charities who support people affected by Parkinson's, members of the TORUS programme and the recently launched EJS ACT-PD study. These stands gave attendees an overview of the research that is taking place, provided advise on how to get involved and informed about future research.
Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) is central to the Digital Health theme. The theme works in close partnership with people living with long-term conditions, their carers, and the wider public to ensure the research reflects real-world priorities and needs. The theme’s effort of actively involving the public in research at the BRC, making digital health technology more inclusive, relevant, and impactful is reflected in a diversified portfolio of PPIE activities, including published research papers, webinars and events sharing best practices, Infographics, as well as consulting a Digital Health Public and Patient Advisory Group.
Learn more about their PPIE work
Mobilise-D Feedback event hosted by Newcastle University for local study participants and the wider Parkinson’s community. This event was an opportunity to celebrate the work with study participants and to share the findings and impact of the team's research.