MC10 and University of Vermont Form Partnership to Study Gait Abnormalities in Movement Disorders

Digital health company MC10 has entered into a collaboration with the University of Vermont to use wearable technology to track and analyze changes in gait patterns across a spectrum of disorders, including Huntington’s Disease.

MC10 is the developer of BioStamp nPoint, an end-to-end system for physiological data collection and analytics. The rechargeable and wireless FDA approved device adheres to the body to collect data as the wearer goes about their daily activities.

“One’s ability or inability to walk has long been recognized as a key aspect of their health status. Recent advances in objective gait analysis have led to metrics such as gait speed being described as the ‘sixth vital sign,’” said Arthur Combs, MC10’s chief medical officer. “In the past, evaluation of gait impairment has largely been subjective, instantaneous, and assessed in a laboratory.”

Ryan McGinnis, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering and director of the M-Sense Research Group, will serve as the principal investigator in the collaboration. McGinnis is a former employee of MC10 and was instrumental in the development of the fundamental algorithms of the BioStamp platform. McGinnis continues his work with the BioStamp system with research programs focused on developing new ways to track symptom progression in neurological disorders and measure human biomechanics outside of the laboratory.

“Movement disorders, particularly Huntington’s Disease, are understudied and need better characterization. I am hopeful that the outcomes of this collaboration will lead to a deeper understanding of gait pathology and progression in movement disorders with the potential to positively impact future therapies and the quality of life for patients with these conditions. I look forward to continuing to work with MC10 and the BioStamp nPoint system,” said Dr. McGinnis.

Photo: Ryan McGinnis, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Vermont and director of the M-Sense Research Group

Author: Rare Daily Staff