Using a smartphone to measure your tremor

[Aaron]

Hi,

It's very interesting to read about all the SmartPhone diagnostic tools. I am quite new to the whole topic, but have already tested a range of apps for the iPhone for my tremor.

One that hasn't been already mentioned yet, is called Tremor Test (http://www.tremortest.com). It's not free though ($9.99), but it has a couple of features that are quite helpful:

- it measures frequency from 1-20 Hz with 0.1 Hz accuracy
- amplitude is scaled as gravity (to compare the strength of tremor)
- history of last tests (so to compare with test from another day)
- message feature (to send results to a doctor)
I think it's easy to use and it has instructions that can help.

So i am curious what you think is best.

best regards
Aaron

[admin]

Hi Aaron

Thanks for posting the info. I only briefly looked at TremorTest when I was looking around and saw the one screen shot of the hand holding the phone in a horizontal position. I thought that this might imply that it wasn't reading all of the axes XYZ ? Did it work well in a vertical position, such as on a leg?

regards.

[Betty]

Hi Aaron and Jeff,

The more I read about this, the more exciting it sounds. Jeff, you are doing an excellent job getting information out to us.

Aaron, do you know of any neurologists who use one of the SmartPhones to test tremors? It's interesting because this evening I received an email from a friend who sent this link to what is being done by doctors using SmartPhones; check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B-jUOOrtks

Things of the future....

Betty

[Aaron]

Hi Betty and Jeff,

thanks for the great video link.
there are not a lot of doctors who use smartphones yet, i guess for 2 reasons:

1) They don't know about the great opportunities yet
2) The just want to stick with there traditional diagnosing tools or are hesitant

I guess it's up to the patients to use it or to tell the doctor in this case.

Jeff,
it works great for any position, since it is reading all axis. This is also stated in the description. So the picture is just a bit misleading.

Aaron

[Abinadi]

Hey Folks,

Like several of you, I do not have a smartphone either. But guess what? I do have a web tablet. It has the Android operating system and a built in accelerometer.

I downloaded the LiftPulse app (free) and installed it on the web tablet. Strapped the web tablet to my wife's leg (she does not have OT) in order to get the baseline, or control reading. Then I strapped the web tablet to the calf muscle on my right leg using an ordinary pants belt, punched the start button on the LiftPulse app and took my 10 second recording.



Against my wife's fairly flat recording, mine produced a startling huge spike at about 14 - 15 Hz on the right hand edge where it got cut off by the LiftPulse present upper limit of 15 Hz.



Pretty dang impressive. first time in about 18 years of having this disorder that I have been able to "see" what is going on down there with my jitterbug legs.

I also figured out how to take a screen shot of the tremor chart so that I can share it with others - maybe even you guys, if Jeff agrees.

People on TV are always saying when they show you something awesome, "Don't try this at home". So yes, this is something you can "try this at home".

Rich
Panama

NOTE: As mentioned above if the tremor is above the threshold of the 15Hz limit of the LiftPulse App the will not show the tremor on the graph. Currently there are other apps that do show a range above 15Hz and hopefully in the future LiftPulse will also include this range to include OT.

Here's an interesting chart showing the range of disorders and the frequency of the tremors. OT is the only tremor listed that is >12Hz, which is why measuring the frequency might be very important in a diagnosis.

[admin]

Hi Rich

Our investigative reporter is back on the job!

Sounds like you had great success. I'm traveling for a couple days but I will send you a message with info on posting the screen captures and/or instructional photos as soon as I return.

Best regards, talk to you soon

Jeff

[Betty]

Hello Rich,

It must have been exciting to actually see your tremors on your web tablet. When I was diagnosed in 2002, I was able to see my tremors on a screen at the neurologists office. I had quite a few tests done and the "spikes" were very high.

As I said earlier, we don't have a smartphone, but I may try to find someone who does have one and take the advice Jeff gave me; ask if they will download the free app to their phone so I might see my tremors now. I am waiting for the new app which will allow us to HEAR our tremors.

Jeff, I will be waiting to see what you put on this site for Rich, so we can all see what he did. This is all so exciting to me.

Betty

[admin]

A very interesting video has been posted on the Neurology.org website. This video and accompanying text by Vincent S. DeOrchis, MD, MS, Howard L. Geyer, MD, PhD and Steven Herskovitz, MD is very good, and combines an EMG chart with the audio of the "helicopter" sound. As a result they have created a terrific illustration of something that is often undetected as a tremor:

link to Neurology.org article

Orthostatic tremor is rare, and the characteristic high frequency can make it difficult to visualize or palpate; diagnosis often depends on tremor analysis.1 A unique feature is the sound resembling a distant helicopter during auscultation over the thigh or calf.2 This “helicopter sign” can also apply to the sound generated during surface EMG of affected muscles.

What is especially nice about this video is that it contains audio of the "helicopter" sound, the graph of the EMG and the live video of standing legs with the surface EMG sensors applied:

Link to full article on Neurology.org website


LINK TO VIDEO

[Betty]

Hello!

Rich, is your web tablet the same thing as an iPad? We do have one of those. Thank you so much for sharing your experience testing the calf of your wife and your calf. I tried to access the links you added in your post, but it wasn't an active link. I will try to copy and paste it unless you can make it an active link for all. I think....if you go back and edit, if you place your cursor at the end of the link and hit "enter" it should make it an active link. That is what I usually do; but Jeff would be better able to explain it better than I.

Also, Jeff....thank you so much for putting the link Neurology.org for the article and especially for the link to the Neurology.org website so we can actually see and HEAR what our tremors sound like; it was an emotional thing for me and brought tears to my eyes.

Now, when this is available to all of us, we can SHOW people what we are experiencing and perhaps it will help others to understand what we deal with on a daily basis.

Thank you Rich and thank you Jeff!

Betty

[admin]

Hi Betty

If you have an iPad, try going to this website ( this will show a chart of movement/tremors only if you are viewing on a device with an accelerometer such as an iPad, iPhone, smart phones, tablets etc) :

http://m.iseismometer.com/

This is a webpage version of the iseismometer app. To download the app on your iPad follow the link below:

https://itunes.apple.com/app/id30419073 ... mpt=uo%3D4

This app will work with a range of frequencies that cover OT whereas the LiftPulse will only display the tremor if your's is 15Hz or below.

[Betty]

Hi Jeff,

Thank you so much for the information; you ALWAYS come through for me as well as many others.
I am on my computer now, but I will work on my iPad a little later and hopefully will be able to get the apps on my iPad.

I am so eager to try this; as I said, this is VERY exciting to me. I will let you know how I do.

Again....thank you so much for all your help.

Betty

[owen-lynettepickles]

Hello Jeff
Thank you for posting the article with accompanying video. Can't wait to show it to my husband and some family and friends so that they may understand a little more what I mean when I say my legs are "going".
Regards, Lynette

[Abinadi]

Hello!

Rich, is your web tablet the same thing as an iPad?
Betty

Essentially the same concept, but better. Why is it better? Because its mine.

Mine is made by Asus and runs on an Android operating system (software) instead of iOS, as the Apple iPad does.

But seriously, they are both just web tablets. Apple at first did this concept better and bigger and the iPad gained traction among the public. It is sort of like all tissue paper ended up being referred to as Kleenex. Many tissues are actually as good and many are even better than Kleenex, but somehow they end up being called Kleenex.

But because the two types of web tablets (and smartphones too) operate on different software, you must get the app (a program that is used for a particular application) that will work on your type of Kleenex - er, iPad, er, oops, I mean web tablet.

Did I confuse the issue enough for you?
(Just having fun sitting and talking with you because I can't stand and do that like a "normal" person would.)
Rich

[gloria]

Love the way the website is going ‘ high tech’ with diagnosing toys that are in most everyone’s pocket or purse. Rich, I just read your latest analogies which always simplifies things with your beautiful humor . Gloria

[Betty]

Hello Rich,

You do have a great sense of humor, something we all need. Now...as to whether your "web tablet" is better than mine; that may be up for discussion! Actually, I am not that tech savvy, so I must depend on Jeff to set me straight.

I do have an iPad; printed out the information Jeff put on this site and am working on getting things set up so I can "see" and "hear" my tremors. I find all this so very exciting!

I do all my "chatting" sitting as well; I think many of us do.

Hi Gloria: Always good to see you jumping in with your comments. I know you check this site, probably daily.

Betty