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The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of smartphone’s gyroscope for dynamic postural stability among young healthy adults. The research included convenience sample of 85 healthy adults—37 women (mean age 22.1±1.6, body height 167.2±7.0) and 48 men (mean age 22.4±1.7, body height 176.1±13.8). In order to assess the accuracy of stab...
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This letter presents the design and development of a robotic system to give physical assistance to the elderly or people with neurological disorders such as Ataxia or Parkinson's. In particular, we propose using a mobile collaborative robot with an interaction-assistive whole-body interface to help people unable to maintain balance. The robotic sys...
Background
Population aging has been an emerging public and health concern globally. Balance performance can be applied as an indicator of functional status and a predictor of health outcomes in the elderly. However, reference data of balance performance in the elderly generated from large scale studies have been very limited. In research and geria...
Background
The leg muscles are important for balance, posture, and movement during static and dynamic activity. Obtaining cross-sectional area measurements (CSA) of the leg muscles helps researchers understand the health and force production capability of individual leg muscles. Therefore, having an easy to use and readily available method to asses...
Citations
... These measurements require no more than 20 min to perform, similar to the K-MoCA testing time. The tandem Romberg test is being used in clinical settings, the olfactory discrimination test requires only five different odors to be administered, and the sentence recognition and limits of stability testing can be implemented in smartphones [48][49][50]. Therefore, the cost and difficulty of obtaining the necessary measurements can be reduced, and the tests can be included in the national health screening for older individuals. ...
When dementia is diagnosed, it is most often already past the point of irreversible neuronal deterioration. Neuropsychological tests are frequently used in clinical settings; however, they must be administered properly and are oftentimes conducted after cognitive impairment becomes apparent or is raised as a concern by the patient or a family member. It would be beneficial to develop a non-invasive system for approximating cognitive scores which can be utilized by a general practitioner without the need for cognitive testing. To this end, gait, visual, auditory, postural, and olfactory function parameters, reported history of illness, and personal habits were used to train an elastic-net regression model in predicting the cognitive score. Community-dwelling men (N = 104) above the age of sixty-five participated in the current study. Both individual variables and principal components of the motor and sensory functions were included in the elastic-net regression model, which was trained on 70% of the dataset. The years of education, limits of stability testing time, regular ophthalmological exams, postural testing time principal component, better ear score on the sentence recognition test, and olfactory discrimination score largely contributed to explaining over 40% of the variance in the cognitive score.
... The use of inertial sensors in smartphones for patient monitoring during exercise and rehabilitation has become prevalent [21]. Numerous studies have reported the high reliability of measurements obtained using smartphone gyroscopes, which have been identified as a precise sensor for evaluating postural stability [22][23][24], fall risk in the elderly [25,26], rehabilitation of patients with vertigo and balance disorders [21], stroke patients [27], individuals with Parkinson's disease [28], multiple sclerosis [29], and other related medical conditions.. ...
Background
Objective assessment of pre-operative functional capacity in cancer patients using the smartphone gyroscope during the Chester step (CST) test may allow greater sensitivity of test results. This study has investigated whether the CST is a postoperative hospital permanence predictor in cancer patients undergoing abdominopelvic surgery through work, VO2MAX and gyroscopic movement analysis.
Methods
Prospective, quantitative, descriptive and inferential observational cohort study. Fifty-one patients were evaluated using CST in conjunction with a smartphone gyroscope. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to examine the predictive value of the CST.
Results
The duration of hospital permanence 30 days after surgery was longer when patients who performed stage 1 showed lower RMS amplitude and higher peak power. The work increased as the test progressed in stage 3. High VO2MAX seemed to be a predictor of hospital permanence in those who completed levels 3 and 4 of the test.
Conclusion
The use of the gyroscope was more accurate in detecting mobility changes, which predicted a less favorable result for those who met at level 1 of the CST. VO2MAX was a predictor of prolonged hospitalization from level 3 of the test. The work was less accurate to determine the patient's true functional capacity.
... Previous studies on human movement have already confirmed the validity of the measurements obtained from smartphone accelerometers. Most studies only included static balance and spatiotemporal gait parameters protocols [22][23][24]. ...
... They demonstrated the concurrent validity with strong test-retest reliability of the measurements obtained using inertial sensors, proposing the use of mobile apps for this purpose. Polechonski et al. [24] demonstrated that smartphones with a gyroscope have the potential to perform accurate postural balance assessments as an alternative to expensive and specialized equipment. They concluded that reliable measurements can be obtained with a smartphone and a force platform for measuring lateral and anteroposterior oscillations. ...
... Although the possibility of using mobile technology in the assessment of balance and stability has been recognized [24,26], a comparison of the results of the present study with the current literature is unfeasible. This is because until now, few studies assessed APAs in the initiation of gait using accelerometers, and our potential contribution is to perform this assessment with a cell phone (Table 2), which makes this research pioneering. ...
The evaluation of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) requires high-cost and complex handling systems, only available at research laboratories. New alternative methods are being developed in this field, on the other hand, to solve this issue and allow applicability in clinic, sport and hospital environments. The objective of this study was to validate an app for mobile devices to measure the APAs during gait initiation by comparing the signals obtained from cell phones using the Momentum app with measurements made by a kinematic system. The center-of-mass accelerations of a total of 20 healthy subjects were measured by the above app, which read the inertial sensors of the smartphones, and by kinematics, with a reflective marker positioned on their lumbar spine. The subjects took a step forward after hearing a command from an experimenter. The variables of the anticipatory phase, prior to the heel-off and the step phase, were measured. In the anticipatory phase, the linear correlation of all variables measured by the two measurement techniques was significant and indicated a high correlation between the devices (APAonset: r = 0.95, p < 0.0001; APAamp: r = 0.71, p = 0.003, and PEAKtime: r = 0.95, p < 0.0001). The linear correlation between the two measurement techniques for the step phase variables measured by ques was also significant (STEPinterval: r = 0.56, p = 0.008; STEPpeak1: r = 0.79, p < 0.0001; and STEPpeak2: r = 0.64, p < 0.0001). The Bland-Altman graphs indicated agreement between instruments with similar behavior as well as subjects within confidence limits and low dispersion. Thus, using the Momentum cell phone application is valid for the assessment of APAs during gait initiation compared to the gold standard instrument (kinematics), proving to be a useful, less complex, and less costly alternative for the assessment of healthy individuals.
... Health-related applications on smartphones have grown considerably in number and popularity [21] and are increasingly used in health management [22]. As smartphones are equipped with various sensors, including an accelerometer and a gyroscope sensor, they are appropriate tools for measuring the segment angle of the leg during walking [23]. Additionally, some smartphones are waterproof, and commercialized waterproofing instruments are readily available. ...
Objective:
Aquatic therapy is a significant intervention method for both patients and healthy individuals. However, in clinical practice, quantitative measurements are rarely applied in aquatic therapy due to the disadvantages of submerging expensive instruments in water. In this study, we used readily available smartphones and armbands to measure leg segments and joint angles during aquatic gait and evaluated the reliability of these measurements.
Methods:
Waterproof smartphones were strapped to the trunk, thighs, and shanks of 19 healthy young adults using armbands. The angles of the trunk, thigh, and shank segments were measured during aquatic gait. The measurements were repeated 1 day later. The data were analyzed to obtain the angles of the hip and knee joints.
Results:
Measurement repeatability, calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), was the highest for the shank segment range of motion (ROM) (first 46.79° ± 5.50°, second 50.12° ± 9.98°, ICC = 0.78). There was high agreement in trunk segment ROM (first 6.36° ± 1.42°, second 4.29° ± 1.83°, ICC = 0.73), thigh segment ROM (first 33.49° ± 5.18°, second 37.31° ± 8.70°, ICC = 0.62), and knee joint ROM (first 52.43° ± 11.26°, second 62.19° ± 16.65°, ICC = 0.68) and fair agreement in hip joint ROM (first 34.60°±4.71°, second 37.80° ± 7.84°, ICC = 0.59).
Conclusions:
Smartphones can be used to reliably measure leg segments and joint angles during aquatic gait, providing a simpler method for obtaining these measurements and enabling the wider use of aquatic motion analysis in clinical practice and research.
... Tests of visual stimulation and the effect of visual stimuli on posture control were performed under various conditions. These included individuals focusing on objects located at various distances [28] or being exposed to a moving environment [16], [25], [32]. Virtual reality (VR) creates an illusion where a test participant has the impression of being in a place other than where they really are [18]. ...
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine how a stimulus presented in the virtual reality environment as a simulation of a fall off the stairs, triggers a loss of balance. The study also examined if the head movement measurements and the analysis in the frequency domain could increase the range of interpretation. Methods: 11 healthy individuals were tested, two [A1] were identified as more susceptible to the introduced disturbance, and one reported having dizziness, car sickness and fear of heights. Measurements of center of pressure (COP) and head positions were performed in the real and in the virtual environment. The beginning of the simulation was either unexpected or preceded by a signal. The analysis included standard parameters determined in time domain as well as the amplitude of the first harmonic from the fast Fourier transform (FFT). Results: The analysis did not reveal statistically significant differences between results obtained: in real and virtual environments, with and without the warning signal. It was possible to notice the effect of virtual disturbance in the three selected individuals; this was particularly evident in the analysis of the first harmonic of the FFT. Conclusions: The conducted tests revealed that the limitation of the analyses exclusively to the time domain could be insufficient for a comprehensive interpretation. The effect of introduced disturbance was particularly noticeable in the analysis of the first harmonic for head movement. The application of this parameter could enable a more accurate investigation of a strategy aimed at maintaining balance.
... Although the laboratory devices provide a state-ofthe-art quantitative evaluation of postural stability, they involve a high cost in both money and time, the evaluation procedure is complex, and a field setting is often not applicable because of the limited portability of the devices [14][15][16]. Smartphones can be regarded as a solution for overcoming the limitations of laboratory-based assessments. Portability, together with their built-in accelerometers, have turned smartphones into a major potential for objective and convenient (easy, portable, and affordable) postural stability assessment in a field setting [14,[16][17][18]. ...
... Smartphones can be regarded as a solution for overcoming the limitations of laboratory-based assessments. Portability, together with their built-in accelerometers, have turned smartphones into a major potential for objective and convenient (easy, portable, and affordable) postural stability assessment in a field setting [14,[16][17][18]. In such a case, the reliability of the smartphone application itself, as well as of the particular standing position and the examinee specificity remains an issue of concern [9,15,17]. ...
... the results indicate the total balance score as the most reliable postural stability measure provided by the YMED Balance test application used in the present study, whereas the directional coM information (spatial or temporal) appears of relative but not of absolute reliability value. the superior reliability of the total balance score over the directional coM measures is supported by both the relative and absolute reliability indices and agrees with studies of varying smartphone reliability depending on the variable used to examine postural stability [16]. overall, the total balance score reliability appears similar to other smartphone applications; Amick et al. [14] report excellent relative reliability with Iccs of 0.78 (SEM: 5.82) in standing tasks (full contact with the floor, double or single leg standing, 2 trials) using the Sway balance mobile application. ...
Purpose
This study aimed to verify the reliability of estimating ballet dancers’ postural stability during the unshod and the en pointe relevé position with a smartphone application
Methods
The participants (13 ballet dancers, 22.4 ± 2.5 years of age) were tested in the unshod and the en pointe relevé position (YMED Balance Test application, smartphone secured at the L5 level for centre of mass approximation, 10 trials for each condition, 10 seconds per trial, 2-minute intertrial break, arms relaxed at bodyside, gaze fixated at an eye-level target, preferred feet width and orientation). Paired t-tests examined the inter-condition differences. Relative (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC) and absolute (standard error of measurement, SEM, SEM%) reliability indices (for accumulated and paired trials) were computed for each condition (SPSS software v. 26.0, p < 0.05).
Results
The total balance score and all centre of mass spatial measures indicated worse postural stability in the en pointe condition (p < 0.05), with no significant temporal differences (p > 0.05). The total body balance score was the most reliable measure (good to excellent ICC s, low to moderate SEM%) with a minimum of 8 trials ensuring reliability in both the unshod and the en pointe relevé positions.
Conclusions
Taken a minimum of 8 trials and the measure of total balance score, we may obtain a reliable estimation of ballet dancers’ postural stability in the unshod and the en pointe relevé position by using the YMED Balance Test smartphone application.
keywords:
balance, centre of mass, tip-toe stance, accelerometer, inertial sensors
... Physical exercises are becoming more and more popular and desirable thanks to development of modern techniques including the use of virtual reality technology. Virtual reality technology increases the attractiveness of physical training and provides feedback in real time, which can positively influence the therapy results [7,8]. ...
This study investigated how spatial projection systems influences body balance including postural stability. Analyzing precisely defined frequency bands of movements of the center of pressure makes it possible to determine the effectiveness of the balance system’s response to disruptions and disorders and may be used as an indicator in the diagnosis of motor dysfunction. The study involved 28 participants for whom the center of pressure was assessed in a test with open eyes, closed eyes and with virtual reality projection. Percent distributions of energy during wavelet decomposition were calculated. Changes in body stability were determined for the virtual reality tests and these changes were classified as an intermediate value between the open-eyes test and the closed-eyes test. The results indicate the importance of using safety support systems in therapies involving Virtual Reality. The results also show the necessity of measurements times in stabilographic evaluations in order to conduct a more thorough analysis of very low frequencies of the center of pressure signal.
... However, neither have ever been utilized in clinical practice because of complications in measurement and data processing. Conversely, wearable sensors including magnetic and inertial measurement units (IMU), permitting the objective and simple assessment of human movement, have become widely used tools in motion analysis [25][26][27][28][29][30]. TLA might be estimated from thigh and shank segment angles obtained by IMU. ...
Propulsion force and trailing limb angle (TLA) are meaningful indicators for evaluating quality of gait. This study examined the validity of measurement for TLA and propulsion force during various gait conditions using magnetic inertial measurement units (IMU), based on measurements using a three-dimensional motion analysis system and a force platform. Eighteen healthy males (mean age 25.2 ± 3.2 years, body height 1.70 ± 0.06 m) walked with and without trunk fluctuation at preferred, slow, and fast velocities. IMU were fixed on the thorax, lumbar spine, and right thigh and shank. IMU calculated the acceleration and tilt angles in a global coordinate system. TLA, consisting of a line connecting the hip joint with the ankle joint, and the laboratory’s vertical axis at late stance in the sagittal plane, was calculated from thigh and shank segment angles obtained by IMU, and coordinate data from the motion analysis system. Propulsion force was estimated by the increment of velocity calculated from anterior acceleration measured by IMU fixed on the thorax and lumbar spine, and normalized impulse of the anterior component of ground reaction force (AGRF) during late stance. Similarity of TLA measured by IMU and the motion analysis system was tested by the coefficient of multiple correlation (CMC), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and root mean square (RMS) of measurement error. Relationships between normalized impulse of AGRF and increments of velocity, as measured by IMU, were tested using correlation analysis. CMC of TLA was 0.956–0.959. ICC between peak TLAs was 0.831–0.876 ( p<0.001 ), and RMS of error was 1.42°–1.92°. Velocity increment calculated from acceleration on the lumbar region showed strong correlations with normalized impulse of AGRF ( r=0.755–0.892 , p<0.001 ). These results indicated a high validity of estimation of TLA and propulsion force by IMU during various gait conditions; these methods would be useful for best clinical practice.
Introduction Rehabilitation of balance maintaining ability is a long-lasting process, requiring strict cooperation between physiotherapist and the patient. Rehabilitation process is usually monotonous, requires a lot of dedication and is just not attractive for patients, while allowing physiotherapists to assess the progression of the process qualitatively only. Used in traditional physical rehabilitation methods of obtaining quantitative data can be insufficient to objectively evaluate if any improvement has been achieved or changes in rehabilitation program must be made.Purpose Virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming a trending solution for said inconveniences and problems, allowing patients to become immersed in an entertaining, unreal world while still performing rehabilitative tasks and receiving immediate feedback on progress that is being made. Authors aim to establish trends in development of VR using systems used for enhancing rehabilitation of balance maintaining ability, which will make it easier for physiotherapists to pick suitable equipment, and for companies creating rehabilitation equipment to create devices with greater potential of being a successful inventions.Material and Methods Authors reviewed 110 publications found in databases of Pubmed, Researchgate, Mendeley (prior to version 1.19.8) and Google Scholar. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria 23 publications were put into further considerations.Results and Conclusions Reviewed systems were classified into 3 groups and analyzed. 15 publications were created using more simple, market available systems, 5 were using custom-made devices and 3 made use of highly advanced and not-easily accessible systems. Trends in development of VR using rehabilitation devices have been established in favour of more simple, but easily accessible systems.KeywordsDiagnosticHuman gaitVirtual realityRehabilitationBalance
