P.6.2 Development of a proof-of-concept device using the Microsoft Kinect to assess movement in infants with spinal muscular atrophy

Abstract

Infants with spinal muscular atrophy type I (SMA) demonstrate significantly decreased muscle strength and tone presenting before 6 months of age. Clinical trials are forthcoming which have the potential to improve outcomes. Traditional developmental assessments such as the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) tend to be fatiguing for infants with SMA. The CHOP Intend was developed specifically for this population to decrease this fatigue. However, both of these assessments grade infant movement on a Likert scale, which can be difficult to use to interpret treatment efficacy as the scale is not linear. Microsoft Kinect platform projects an infrared reference matrix that is reflected off of a subject and generates a high-resolution 3-dimensional depth map allowing for tracking of movement over time. A proof-of-concept assessment system, ACTIVE-mini (Ability Captured Through Interactive Video Evaluation-mini), has been created which measures total infant reaching and kicking movement excursion and frequency of movement of each extremity. Results from ACTIVE-mini have been compared to outcomes on traditional assessments such as the TIMP and CHOP Intend in infants with SMA and normal controls. Preliminary data suggests that this platform may capture fine-grained movement differences where traditional Likert-scale based assessments may not.