6MWT+

Project to improve the monitoring system of chronic neuromuscular diseases by the integration of biomechanical sensors into the 6MWT or six-minute walk test. This test measures the number of metres a patient is able to walk in six minutes and is currently one of the standard functional tests used for the monitoring of neuromuscular and cardiorespiratory pathologies and the loss of physical function associated with ageing, among others.

The innovation of the 6MWT+ project, supported by EIT Health, is that it can preserve the current walk test and, through the integration of biomechanical sensors, it provides clinicians a much more sensitive monitoring and more information of the progression of the disease. Besides, the software 6MWT+ offers a portable and user-friendly system that will allow the personalization and improvement of the treatments of such diseases, so it will have a direct impact on patient’s quality of life.

The first pilot for the 6MWT+ project integrates different sensors to have a complete functional and biomechanical evaluation of the walk test and will be focused on Duchenne muscular dystrophy and myotonic dystrophy, which affect around 360,000 adults and 56,000 children in Europe.

The Eurecat technology centre coordinates the project and will develop the interface from a technological point of view. Hospital Sant Joan de Déu of Barcelona and Copenhagen Neuromuscular Centre will lead the evaluation of the system. GENESIS Biomed will manage the business development, regulation and market access, working with the University of Barcelona and Eurecat. The association Duchenne Parent Project Spain will bring the opinion of the patients and caregivers and will participate in the design and validation. The project also has the participation of Leitat and the support of the community EIT Health, who offers financial resources and infrastructures to develop the project at a European level and boosts its implementation in the market.