Parkinson’s Disease represents a significant measurement challenge in neurology. Despite billions of dollars invested in treatment development, clinical assessments still rely on brief, subjective, clinic-based observations that capture only a snapshot of symptoms.
Subtle gait and motor changes may emerge years before a formal diagnosis, yet once diagnosed, patients are monitored infrequently, leaving motor fluctuations and off-periods largely unmeasured.
Grasshopper’s Axis Patch™ captures Parkinson’s-specific gait and motor signatures continuously in the home environment, including gait speed, cadence, stride length variability, postural sway, turn dynamics, bradykinesia patterns, gait-freezing precursors and motor fluctuation cycles.
With sacrum placement enabling measurement of whole-body gait dynamics rather than isolated symptom observation, the Axis PatchTM focuses on the motor domain most predictive of disability and progression.
Parkinson’s disease occurs when brain cells that make dopamine, a chemical that coordinates movement, stop working or die. Affected individuals experience tremors, slowness, stiffness and walking and balance problems.
Other complications include constipation, depression, memory problems and other non-movement symptoms. PD is a lifelong and progressive disease, meaning that symptoms worsen over time.
The disease affects nearly one million people in the United States and more than six million people worldwide. Men are 1.5 times more likely to have Parkinson's disease than women.
Individuals with Parkinson’s often exhibit:
These patterns can fluctuate throughout the day, making continuous monitoring especially valuable. Earlier awareness of these changes helps physicians see the full picture of motor function in daily life.
The Axis Patch™ supports clinicians by providing: