A novel balance index for preliminary assessment of proprioception based on a balance-cognitive study

Abstract

Finding a quick and accurate method for evaluating proprioception is useful for improving performance which is the main objective of the current research. This paper presents a novel index, called the Synergy Balance Index (SBI), that leverages lower limb electromyography signals for the evaluation of proprioception. The concept has been tested on a set of balance tasks performed by 23 healthy subjects on a ∞-shape path. The capability of the SBI has been investigated using two ways, classification and monitoring. Also, the relationship between the features extracted from the recorded signals was investigated by calculating the correlation coefficient. The findings suggest that in the absence of sufficient and accurate information on individuals, this index can only differentiate groups if there is a significant difference in their proprioception. All of the evaluated criteria were obtained above 95 percent. This index was effective when used with equal conditions and comparisons of each individual with himself over multiple stages of proprioception training that included two tasks (balance, and cognitive). The index showed increased proprioception performance after just one training session, showing its possible sensitivity and speed. The SBI is a quick, low-cost, and easy-to-use index for assessing a person’s proprioception. It has potential applications in rehabilitation, neurology, and sports biology. Enhanced research in this area could result in better patient care. The small sample size and the lack of a diverse population group limit the study. This can be fixed by gathering more data from a larger and more diverse set of participants.