JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Neurological disorders present an increasing health burden worldwide and cause significant impairments which impede physical, social and cognitive function. Wearable technologies show promise for bolstering health monitoring in neurological populations due to their ease of use and accessibility, yet their applicability for use in measuring relevant parameters remains unclear.

Objective:

This scoping review aims to map the current evidence surrounding the use of smart wearable technologies in people with neurological disorders.

Methods:

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), studies were systematically reviewed from five electronic databases: MEDLINE, EBSCOHost, Cochrane Library, IEEE Xplore, and Web of Science. Key features, limitations and potential clinical applications of these devices were identified. Two independent reviewers screened and selected the studies. Two reviewers then summarised the selected studies using an Excel data extraction sheet and used the NIH Risk of Bias tool to critically appraise them.

Results:

Of seventy-nine studies included in this review, twenty-seven focused on stroke, thirty-four on Parkinson’s Disease (PD), eight on Multiple Sclerosis (MS), seven on dementia, two each on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), one each on epilepsy and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), three on Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), and one on Huntington’s Disease (HD).

Conclusions:

Smart wearables demonstrate accuracy and feasibility, particularly in stroke and PD, with most studies focusing on physical parameters such as gait patterns. Future research should include psychosocial and physiological outcomes, use larger and more standardised samples, and address underrepresented neurological conditions, to better define the broader applicability of smart wearables. Clinical Trial: 10.17605/OSF.IO/ZHCPE