Wearables for Measuring the Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior of Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease associated with chronic back pain and restricted mobility and physical function. Increasing physical activity is a viable strategy for improving the health and quality of life of patients with axSpA. Thus, quantifying physical activity and sedentary behavior in this population is relevant to clinical outcomes and disease management. However, to the best of our knowledge, no systematic review to date has identified and synthesized the available evidence on the use of wearable devices to objectively measure the physical activity or sedentary behavior of patients with axSpA. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review the literature on the use of wearable activity trackers as outcome measures for physical activity and sedentary behavior in patients with axSpA. METHODS: PubMed, PEDro, and Cochrane electronic databases were searched in July 2021 for relevant original articles, with no limits on publication dates. Studies were included if they were original articles, targeted adults with a diagnosis of axSpA, and reported wearable device-measured physical activity or sedentary behavior among patients with axSpA. Data regarding the study's characteristics, the sample description, the methods used for measuring physical activity and sedentary behavior (eg, wearable devices, assessment methods, and outcomes), and the main results of the physical activity and sedentary behavior assessments were extracted. RESULTS: A total of 31 studies were initially identified; 13 (13/31, 42%) met the inclusion criteria, including 819 patients with axSpA. All the studies used accelerometer-based wearable devices to assess physical activity. Of the 13 studies, 4 (4/31, 31%) studies also reported outcomes related to sedentary behavior. Wearable devices were secured on the wrists (3/13 studies, 23%), lower back (3/13, 23%), right hip (3/13, 23%), waist (2/13, 15%), anterior thigh (1/13, 8%), or right arm (1/13, 8%). The methods for reporting physical activity and sedentary behavior were heterogeneous. Approximately 77% (10/13) of studies had a monitoring period of 1 week, including weekend days. CONCLUSIONS: To date, few studies have used wearable devices to quantify the physical activity and sedentary behavior of patients with axSpA. The methodologies and results were heterogeneous, and none of these studies assessed the psychometric properties of these wearables in this specific population. Further investigation in this direction is needed before using wearable device-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior as outcome measures in intervention studies in patients with axSpA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020182398; https://tinyurl.com/ec22jzkt. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/23359.

Objective Measurement of Walking Activity Using Wearable Technologies in People with Parkinson Disease: A Systematic Review.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease with a multitude of disease variations including motor and non-motor symptoms. Quality of life and symptom management may be improved with physical activity. Due to technological advancement, development of small new wearable devices recently emerged and allowed objective measurement of walking activity in daily life. This review was specifically designed to synthesize literature on objective walking activity measurements using wearable devices of patients with PD. Inclusion criteria included patients with a diagnosis of PD and exclusion criteria included studies using animal models or mixed syndromes. Participants were not required to undergo any type of intervention and the studies must have reported at least one output that quantifies daily walking activity. Three databases were systematically searched with no limitation on publication date. Twenty-six studies were eligible and included in the systematic review. The most frequently used device was the ActiGraph GT3X which was used in 10 studies. Duration of monitoring presented a range from 8 h to one year. Nevertheless, 11 studies measured walking activity during a 7-day period. On-body sensor wearing location differed throughout the included studies showing eight positions, with the waist, ankle, and wrist being the most frequently used locations. The main procedures consisted of measurement of walking hours during a 2-day period or more, equipped with a triaxial accelerometer at the dominant hip or ankle. It is also important for further research to take care of different factors such as the population, their pathology, the period, and the environment.

Objective Measurements of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Using Wearable Devices in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a subgroup of inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Practicing regular exercise is critical to manage pain and stiffness, reduce disease activity, and improve physical functioning, spinal mobility, and cardiorespiratory function. Accordingly, monitoring physical activity and sedentary behavior in patients with axSpA is relevant for clinical outcomes and disease management. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to determine which wearable devices, assessment methods, and associated metrics are commonly used to quantify physical activity or sedentary behavior in patients with axSpA. METHODS: The PubMed, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), and Cochrane electronic databases will be searched, with no limit on publication date, to identify all the studies matching the inclusion criteria. Only original English-language articles published in a peer-reviewed journal will be included. The search strategy will include a combination of keywords related to the study population, wearable devices, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. We will use the Boolean operators "AND" and "OR" to combine keywords as well as Medical Subject Headings terms. RESULTS: Search strategy was completed in June 2020 with 23 records obtained. Data extraction and synthesis are currently ongoing. Dissemination of study results in peer-reviewed journals is expected at the end of 2021. CONCLUSIONS: This review will provide a comprehensive and detailed synthesis of published studies that examine the use of wearable devices for objective assessment of physical activity and sedentary behavior in patients with axSpA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020182398; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=182398. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/23359.

Objective Measurement of Walking Activity Using Wearable Technologies in People with Parkinson Disease: A Systematic Review Protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease with motor and nonmotor symptoms with a multitude of disease variations and severity. Physical activity can improve the management of disease symptoms and increase patients' quality of life. Technological development of small wearable devices allows objective activity measurement such as daily step count. OBJECTIVE: To synthesize ongoing and past research on objective walking activity measurements using wearable devices in patients with PD. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and PEDro database are systematically searched with no limitation on publication date. Keywords are relative to (1) the population, (2) the measurement tool, and (3) the measured outcomes. Only full-text English articles published in a peer-reviewed journal will be included. Participants do not have to undergo any type of intervention. Included studies must report an objective measurement of walking activity using wearable devices in PD patients. After an independent screening process done by 2 reviewers, data will be extracted from the articles according to the following 5 set of data: (1) the study metrics, (2) the population characteristics, (3) the measurement tools, (4) the experimental procedure, and (5) the reported outcomes. RESULTS: The results will contain inter alia summaries of the wearables' specifications, wearing location, and recommendations for feasible methodologies to capture daily walking activity. DISCUSSION: This review aims to synthesize the evidence of objective walking activity assessment with wearable devices in patients with PD. It will also provide recommendations with regard to device selection and suggest key points when monitoring walking activity in this specific population.

Step and Distance Measurement From a Low-Cost Consumer-Based Hip and Wrist Activity Monitor: Protocol for a Validity and Reliability Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Self-tracking via wearable and mobile technologies is becoming an essential part of personal health management. At this point, however, little information is available to substantiate the validity and reliability of low-cost consumer-based hip and wrist activity monitors, with regard more specifically to the measurements of step counts and distance traveled while walking. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study is to assess the validity and reliability of step and distance measurement from a low-cost consumer-based hip and wrist activity monitor specific in various walking conditions that are commonly encountered in daily life. Specifically, this study is designed to evaluate whether and to what extent validity and reliability could depend on the sensor placement on the human body and the walking task being performed. METHODS: Thirty healthy participants will be instructed to wear four PBN 2433 (Nakosite) activity monitors simultaneously, with one placed on each hip and each wrist. Participants will attend two experimental sessions separated by 1 week. During each experimental session, two separate studies will be performed. In study 1, participants will be instructed to complete a 2-minute walk test along a 30-meter indoor corridor under 3 walking speeds: very slow, slow, and usual speed. In study 2, participants will be required to complete the following 3 conditions performed at usual walking speed: walking on flat ground, upstairs, and downstairs. Activity monitor measured step count and distance values will be computed along with the actual step count (determined from video recordings) and distance (measured using a measuring tape) to determine validity and reliability for each activity monitor placement and each walking condition. RESULTS: Participant recruitment and data collection began in January 2020. As of June 2020, we enrolled 8 participants. Dissemination of study results in peer-reviewed journals is expected in spring 2021. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that examines the validity and reliability of step and distance measurement during walking using the PBN 2433 (Nakosite) activity monitor. Results of this study will provide beneficial information on the effects of activity monitor placement, walking speed, and walking tasks on the validity and reliability of step and distance measurement. We believe such information is of utmost importance to general consumers, clinicians, and researchers. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/21262.

A phosphine-mediated construction of 1,4-oxazepines and 1,3-oxazines.

A simple and efficient method for constructing 1,4-oxazepines and 1,3-oxazines was developed with use of a phosphine-mediated tandem reaction of ynones with 2-azido alcohols. The method offers a promising route to synthetically useful as well as biologically active heterocycles under mild conditions and may be exploited for the preparation of interesting chiral ligands.