Biomarkers of Disability and Movement Disorders: Insights from Wearable Devices

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Wearable Biosensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1117

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The identification of disability and movement disorder risk factors is essential for implementing preventive interventions and improving a person’s quality of life. Wearable technology has emerged as a promising tool for monitoring functional decline and disorder-related movement alterations through continuous, real-world data collection. By leveraging accelerometers, gyroscopes, and other biosensors, these devices provide objective and real-time assessments, surpassing traditional self-reported measures. Moreover, there is an increasing need to establish which parameters should be monitored in different target populations, such as older adults, stroke survivors, or patients with chronic musculoskeletal diseases.

This Special Issue explores the potential of wearable devices that detect biomarkers of disability and movement disorders, such as changes in movement patterns, posture, and physical activity levels. This collection aims to present work that will enable advancements in wearable technology, the application of wearable technology in healthcare, and future efforts to improve the early detection of disability and movement disorders. By bridging the gap between technology and healthcare, wearable devices hold significant potential for promoting independent living among adults with conditions affecting their fundamental movement skills. We invite authors to contribute research articles and review papers to this Special Issue, providing them with an opportunity to showcase their work, share valuable insights, and highlight recent advancements in the field of biosensors. These contributions will help foster knowledge exchange and drive innovation within the biosensor research community.

Prof. Dr. Andreia S. P. Sousa
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • wearable biosensors
  • prediction
  • disability
  • movement disorders
  • rehabilitation
  • biomechanics
  • environmental detection
  • biomarkers
  • real-time monitoring

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 2765 KB  
Article
Feasibility of IMU-Based Wearable Sonification: Toward Personalized, Real-Time Gait Monitoring and Rehabilitation
by Toh Yen Pang, Chi-Tsun Cheng, Frank Feltham, Azizur Rahman, Luke McCarney and Carolina Quintero Rodriguez
Biosensors 2025, 15(10), 698; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15100698 - 15 Oct 2025
Viewed by 34
Abstract
Wearable auditory feedback systems have demonstrated potential to support gait rehabilitation, yet user experience and engagement remain underexplored. This feasibility study investigated the usability and perceptions of an IMU-based (WT901BLECL, WitMotion) sonification system designed to deliver real-time gait feedback. Twenty healthy participants walked [...] Read more.
Wearable auditory feedback systems have demonstrated potential to support gait rehabilitation, yet user experience and engagement remain underexplored. This feasibility study investigated the usability and perceptions of an IMU-based (WT901BLECL, WitMotion) sonification system designed to deliver real-time gait feedback. Twenty healthy participants walked on a treadmill at two speeds under three conditions: no feedback, discrete bass tones, and continuous whoosh tones. The proposed system, with an IMU sensor embedded in a flexible garment, combined real-time gait analysis with auditory cues. Participants reported high levels of comfort, with most (90%) indicating that they had a positive overall experience. Discrete bass tones enhanced awareness of specific gait phases, particularly heel strike and initial contact, whereas continuous whoosh sounds extended awareness to the trunk and hips but were occasionally perceived as distracting. Motivation effects were mixed, and no significant correlations were found between subjective ratings and biomechanical measures, reflecting individual variability in auditory cue interpretation. These results emphasized the role of sound modality in influencing gait perception and highlighted the importance of user-centered design in wearable rehabilitation technologies. The study provides foundational evidence for refining personalized auditory feedback systems and supports future investigations with clinical populations, such as stroke survivors and individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. Full article
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18 pages, 1396 KB  
Article
Kinematic Biomarkers of Functional Disability in Older Adults: Analysis of the Timed Up and Go Test
by Juliana Moreira, Bruno Cunha, José Félix, Rubim Santos and Andreia S. P. Sousa
Biosensors 2025, 15(9), 621; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15090621 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 453
Abstract
The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is used to assess mobility in older adults, but its reliance on completion time limits its insight into detailed movement patterns that could serve as early indicators of functional decline. This study aimed to identify lower [...] Read more.
The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is used to assess mobility in older adults, but its reliance on completion time limits its insight into detailed movement patterns that could serve as early indicators of functional decline. This study aimed to identify lower limb and trunk kinematic biomarkers during the TUG test that distinguish between older adults with and without functional disability, emphasizing the potential for wearable sensor applications. Sixty adults aged 60+ participated in this cross-sectional study. Three-dimensional lower limb and trunk range of motion (ROM), velocity, center of mass (CoM) displacement, and velocity were analyzed using an optoelectronic system across TUG subphases: sit-to-walk, walk-forward, turn, walk-back, and turn-to-sit. Principal component analysis identified eleven principal components (PCs), explaining 84.33% of the total variance. PCs included sagittal hip and knee motion and CoM velocity during turn-to-sit and walking (PC1); tri-dimensional trunk velocity during turning, walk-back, and sit-to-walk transitions (PC2, PC4, PC6); sagittal knee and hip velocity in sit-to-walk (PC3); and frontal and transverse plane knee ROM and velocity during turning (PC5). Significant differences between functional disability groups were found for PC1 and PC4. These findings provide benchmark data for developing and validating wearable biosensors aimed at monitoring kinematic biomarkers. Full article
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26 pages, 6690 KB  
Article
Head-Specific Spatial Spectra of Electroencephalography Explained: A Sphara and BEM Investigation
by Uwe Graichen, Sascha Klee, Patrique Fiedler, Lydia Hofmann and Jens Haueisen
Biosensors 2025, 15(9), 585; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15090585 - 6 Sep 2025
Viewed by 466
Abstract
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive biosensing platform with a spatial-frequency content that is of significant relevance for a multitude of aspects in the neurosciences, ranging from optimal spatial sampling of the EEG to the design of spatial filters and source reconstruction. In the [...] Read more.
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive biosensing platform with a spatial-frequency content that is of significant relevance for a multitude of aspects in the neurosciences, ranging from optimal spatial sampling of the EEG to the design of spatial filters and source reconstruction. In the past, simplified spherical head models had to be used for this analysis. We propose a method for spatial frequency analysis in EEG for realistically shaped volume conductors, and we exemplify our method with a five-compartment Boundary Element Method (BEM) model of the head. We employ the recently developed technique for spatial harmonic analysis (Sphara), which allows for spatial Fourier analysis on arbitrarily shaped surfaces in space. We first validate and compare Sphara with the established method for spatial Fourier analysis on spherical surfaces, discrete spherical harmonics, using a spherical volume conductor. We provide uncertainty limits for Sphara. We derive relationships between the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the required spatial sampling of the EEG. Our results demonstrate that conventional 10–20 sampling might misestimate EEG power by up to 50%, and even 64 electrodes might misestimate EEG power by up to 15%. Our results also provide insights into the targeting problem of transcranial electric stimulation. Full article
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