From Lab to Life: Correlating Lab-Based Motion Capture and Field-Based Wearable Sensor Metrics to Assess Motor Impairments in People With Multiple Sclerosis

Understanding the relationship between lab-based kinematic metrics and real-world wearable sensor data offers valuable insights into motor dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study explores the correlations between task specific metrics derived from motion capture systems during Tea Making and Drinking tasks and wrist-worn inertial measurement units (IMU). Path length hand differences (PL_Diff) in lab tasks exhibited strong correlations with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (r=0.64, adjusted p=0.02), indicating their potential as markers of disease severity. Consistent correlations between lab-based kinematics and wearable sensor metrics across different activities of daily living highlight the potential of IMU data for real-world motor impairment monitoring. This emphasizes the role of wearable assessments in improving the sensitivity and scalability of MS progression tracking.