Abstract
The development of miniature sensors that can be unobtrusively attached to the body or can be part of clothing items, such as sensing elements embedded in the fabric of garments, have opened countless possibilities of monitoring patients in the field over extended periods of time. This is of particular relevance to the practice of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Wearable technology addresses a major question in the management of patients undergoing rehabilitation, i.e. have clinical interventions a significant impact on the real life of patients? Wearable technology allows clinicians to gather data where it matters the most to answer this question, i.e. the home and community settings. Direct observations concerning the impact of clinical interventions on mobility, level of independence, and quality of life can be performed by means of wearable systems. Researchers have focused on three main areas of work to develop tools of clinical interest: 1)the design and implementation of sensors that are minimally obtrusive and reliably record movement or physiological signals, 2)the development of systems that unobtrusively gather data from multiple wearable sensors and deliver this information to clinicians in the way that is most appropriate for each application, and 3)the design and implementation of algorithms to extract clinically relevant information from data recorded using wearable technology. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation has devoted a series of articles to this topic with the objective of offering a description of the state of the art in this research field and pointing to emerging applications that are relevant to the clinical practice in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Highlights
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation 2005, 2:2 http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/2/1/2 tems in the clinical management of individuals undergoing rehabilitation is very attractive because it provides the opportunity of recording quantitative data in the settings that matter the most, i.e. the home and the community
Recent studies have been focused on integrating wearable, miniature sensor technology with orthoses, prostheses, and mobility assistive devices
Sensor technology is appealing in these applications because it allows implementing closed-loop strategies that take advantage of the increased complexity and flexibility that robotics is contributing to the design of orthoses, prostheses, and mobility assistive devices
Summary
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation 2005, 2:2 http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/2/1/2 tems in the clinical management of individuals undergoing rehabilitation is very attractive because it provides the opportunity of recording quantitative data in the settings that matter the most, i.e. the home and the community. They range from simple monitoring of daily activities, for the purpose of assessing mobility and level of independence in individuals, to integrating miniature sensors to enhance the function of devices utilized by patients to perform motor tasks that they would be otherwise unable to accomplish.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
