Assessing the Usability of an Instagram Filter in Monitoring Essential Tremor: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

BACKGROUND

Spiral drawing is an important test in monitoring essential tremor (ET). With the rise of telemedicine amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, a contactless tool for monitoring tremors was required. We aimed to assess the validity of a novel smartphone technology using a video-based social media platform for rapid and objective monitoring of ET.

METHODS

A prospective pilot study evaluated patients with ET in 2 clinic visits. Videos of tremors were recorded using a publicly available Instagram filter and were visually compared with spirals drawn by the patients. The level of agreement among the raters was evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 12 patients with ET were recruited. A consensus between both raters was achieved for 11 patients (91.6%) for both spirals and videos with good interrater agreement (κ value, 0.755 ± 0.332).

CONCLUSION

This novel method was found to be valid and easy to use in measuring ET in real-world settings. Further research in a larger cohort is needed to suggest its use as a home-based or clinic-based monitoring tool.