Quantification of the Finger Tapping Test Based on the Flex Sensor—A Single Case Study

Bradykinesia is one of the main motor symptoms caused by Parkinson’s disease (PD). Together with other impairments, PD can severely impact activities of daily living. A proper diagnosis and continuous monitoring of PD can lead to motor rehabilitation and the use of medication that can ease the burden of the symptoms. One of the tests used to assess the severity of the PD is the Finger Tapping Test (FTT), which is already extensively used along with several methods to quantify hand movements and verify the presence of slowness of movement and/or its increase over time, however these methods can be rather expensive and hard to implement in a clinical scenario. In this research, we present a relatively cheap and easy-to-use device, capable of measuring certain hand movements made during the FTT, namely pinch movements, using an ink-based flexion sensor (Flex Sensor). Comparing readings made with this sensor against data acquired through inertial sensors, it was possible to confirm the reliability of this alternative method for quantifying the FTT.