A method for measuring arm movements in man under ambulatory conditions

Abstract

Patient activity monitors (PAMs) and self-report diaries were used to examine arm movements and daily behaviours in 14 healthy men, aged 27-84 years, for 9-10 days under ambulatory conditions. Daily PAM histograms of hourly activity counts were divided into high- and low- activity periods. Counts/day were correlated negatively with age in the 14 subjects. The mean (low-activity hours)/day equalled 7.2±0.9 (S.D.) hours, whereas time in bed at night, as estimated from the diaries, averaged 8.0±0.8 hours; neither parameter was correlated significantly with age. The results indicate that the PAM, when combined with diary information, can be employed to measure arm movements continuously and to estimate daily sleep time in man.