Deans' stroke musings: Low-Cost Wearable Data Acquisition for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Proof-of-Concept Study on Accelerometry for Functional Task Assessment

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Low-Cost Wearable Data Acquisition for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Proof-of-Concept Study on Accelerometry for Functional Task Assessment

This just makes too much sense, objective evaluations of movements. It will take 30+ years to make it to the survivors.

Low-Cost Wearable Data Acquisition for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Proof-of-Concept Study on Accelerometry for Functional Task Assessment

Authors

Antonio J. Salazar, MSc^{1, 2}, Ana S. Silva, MSc^{1, 2}, Claudia Silva, MSc³, Carla M. Borges, Eng², Miguel V. Correia, PhD^{1, 2, 4}, Rubim S. Santos, PhD³, Joao P. Vilas-Boas, PhD⁴

¹INESC Technology and Science (INESC TEC), Porto, Portugal
²Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
³Centro de Estudos do Movimento e Actividade Humana (CEMAH), ESTSP-IPP, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
⁴Biomechanics Laboratory (LABIOMEP), Faculdade de Desporto, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

Abstract

Background: An increasingly aging society and consequently rising number of patients with poststroke-related neurological dysfunctions are forcing the rehabilitation field to adapt to ever-growing demands. Although clinical reasoning within rehabilitation is dependent on patient movement performance analysis, current strategies for monitoring rehabilitation progress are based on subjective time-consuming assessment scales, not often applied. Therefore, a need exists for efficient nonsubjective monitoring methods. Wearable monitoring devices are rapidly becoming a recognized option in rehabilitation for quantitative measures. Developments in sensors, embedded technology, and smart textile are driving rehabilitation to adopt an objective, seamless, efficient, and cost-effective delivery system. This study aims to assist physiotherapists’ clinical reasoning process through the incorporation of accelerometers as part of an electronic data acquisition system. Methods: A simple, low-cost, wearable device for poststroke rehabilitation progress monitoring was developed based on commercially available inertial sensors. Accelerometry data acquisition was performed for 4 first-time poststroke patients during a reach-press-return task. Results: Preliminary studies revealed acceleration profiles of stroke patients through which it is possible to quantitatively assess the functional movement, identify compensatory strategies, and help define proper movement. Conclusion: An inertial data acquisition system was designed and developed as a low-cost option for monitoring rehabilitation. The device seeks to ease the data-gathering process by physiotherapists to complement current practices with accelerometry profiles and aid the development of quantifiable methodologies and protocols.