Home wearable movement monitoring for Ataxia-Telangiectasia

Development of Real-World Motor Outcome Measures in Ataxia-Telangiectasia

NIH-funded research Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11239081

This project uses small wearable sensors to track everyday movements in children and adults with Ataxia-Telangiectasia to spot meaningful changes in motor function.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionMassachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Boston, United States)
Project IDNIH-11239081 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would wear a small, consumer-grade sensor on your wrist or ankle that collects movement data passively at home. Researchers will apply signal-processing and machine-learning methods to identify basic movement building blocks called “submovements” from the continuous data. Those sensor-derived features will be compared with clinician exams and caregiver reports to make measures that are reliable, interpretable, and sensitive to daily fluctuations and disease progression. The goal is to create real-world motor measures that can support care and help future clinical trials.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People diagnosed with Ataxia-Telangiectasia, including children (around age 6 and older) and adults, who can wear a wrist or ankle sensor at home and whose caregivers can assist if needed.

Not a fit: Individuals without Ataxia-Telangiectasia or those unable to wear or comply with continuous home sensor monitoring are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could give patients and clinicians a sensitive, real-world way to monitor motor changes and detect treatment effects earlier.

How similar studies have performed: Preliminary pilot work from the team shows these sensor features are reliable and correlate with clinician and caregiver ratings, but larger validation is still needed.

Where this research is happening

Boston, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Ataxia Telangiectasia Syndrome
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.