This paper describes the second part of the PASSO (Parkinson smart sensory cues for older users) project, which designs and tests an innovative haptic biofeedback system based on a wireless body sensor network using a smartphone and different smartwatches specifically designed to rehabilitate postural disturbances in persons with Parkinson’s disease. According to the scientific literature on the use of smart devices to transmit sensory cues, vibrotactile feedback (particularly on the trunk) seems promising for improving people’s gait and posture performance; they have been used in different environments and are well accepted by users. In the PASSO project, we designed and developed a wearable device and a related system to transmit vibrations to a person’s body to improve posture and combat impairments like Pisa syndrome and camptocormia. Specifically, this paper describes the methodologies and strategies used to design, develop, and test wearable prototypes and the mHealth system. The results allowed a multidisciplinary comparison among the solutions, which led to prototypes with a high degree of usability, wearability, accessibility, and effectiveness. This mHealth system is now being used in pilot trials with subjects with Parkinson’s disease to verify its feasibility among patients.

Subthalamic (STN) local field potentials (LFP) in the beta band are considered potential biomarkers for closed-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Studies focusing on chronic STN LFP modulation in response to stimulation and treatment are scant. Deepening knowledge on beta modulation during chronic stimulation could aid the development of solid computational algorithm for adaptive DBS. This study aimed to investigate: 1) the presence of beta peaks in the first 21 patients receiving the Percept PC at our Tertiary Centre; 2) the influence of medications, stimulation, and plasma levodopa levels on beta-peaks magnitude and motor performances. Twenty-one (19 males, 2 females) consecutive PD patients who underwent bilateral STN-DBS surgery were prospectively recruited. At 6 months after surgery, an extensive and systematic evaluation of raw LFP, motor performances, and plasma levodopa levels was conducted in the following four conditions: OFF-medications/ON-stimulation; OFF-medications/OFF-stimulation; ON-medications/OFF-stimulation; ON-medications/ON-stimulation. Analysis of STN LFP revealed that 76.2 % (16/21) of PD patients showed a beta peak. Beta peaks was identified at an average frequency of 21.0 ± 5.4 Hz, with an amplitude of 1.1 ± 0.8 μV/rtHz. A higher significant reduction of beta STN oscillations was observed following stimulation activation (p < 0.001) compared to levodopa administration. LFP amplitude patterns reflected motor performance trends across the four treatment conditions. This study provides a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of LFP behaviour in response to stimulation and medication, conducted during ongoing stimulation and in the chronic state. These findings enhance understanding of beta oscillatory changes related to therapies and stimulation.