Assessing Upper Extremity Motor Dysfunction Using an Augmented Reality Game

Abstract

Advances in technology offer new opportunities for a better understanding of how different disorders affect motor function. In this paper, we explore the potential of an augmented reality (AR) game implemented using free hand and body tracking to develop a uniform, cost-effective and objective methods for evaluation of upper extremity motor dysfunction in different patient groups. We conducted a study with 20 patients (10 Parkinson's Disease patients and 10 stroke patients) who performed hand/arm movement tasks in four different conditions in AR and one condition in real world. Despite usability issues mainly due to non-robust hand tracking, the patients were moderately engaged while playing the AR game. Our findings show that moving virtual objects was less targeted, took more time and was associated with larger trunk displacement and a lower variability of elbow angle and upper arm angle than moving real objects. No significant correlations were observed between characteristics of movements in AR and movements in the real world. Still, our findings suggest that the AR game may be suitable for assessing the hand and arm function of mildly affected patients if usability can be further improved.