Abstract TP173: Feasibility and Utility of Home-Based Gait Analysis Using Body-Worn Sensors

Abstract

Background: Gait impairment is one of the most common post-stroke deficits and an important rehabilitation target for patients. Standardized gait assessments typically capture a brief snapshot of a patient’s gait in the clinical setting, but do not provide information about the trajectory of gait recovery in daily life. We assessed the feasibility of home-based gait analysis in patients with stroke-related gait impairment using the Sensoplex “Rover”, a small device worn on the ankles that measures leg movement. Methodology: Thirty-four chronic stroke patients were included in a prospective cohort study. Patients could elect 1 or 4 weeks of gait monitoring and were instructed to wear one device on each ankle during waking hours in this period. Patients completed a timed 10-meter walk test (10m) at the start of the monitoring period. Performance on the 10m was correlated with average gait speed at home assessed with the Rover during the entire monitoring duration. Patients completed a user experience survey at the end of the study. Results: Reliable gait monitoring data for at least 1 day was obtained in 22 of the 34 patients. In this group, there was a good correlation between walking speed measured at home and in clinic (R 2 =0.58), but walking speed measured at home was slower than in clinic (p<0.0001; figure). Sixteen out of 34 patients (47%) wore the device for the entire chosen monitoring duration. This compliance was higher for patients who chose to wear the device for only 1 week (13 of 19; 68%) compared to patients who chose 4 weeks (3 of 15; 20%). On the user survey, 45% of patients reported having trouble donning/doffing the device, 60% wanted a slimmer design, and 60% wanted a mobile app to track progress. Conclusion: Home-based gait monitoring with the Rover device is feasible and correlates well with clinic-based assessments. Design improvements are needed to increase compliance and make home-based gait monitoring a useful additional outcome measure in studies of stroke recovery.