Abstract
This study presents the design and feasibility testing of an interactive portable motion-analysis device for the assessment of upper-limb motor functions in clinical and home settings. The device engages subjects to perform tasks that imitate activities of daily living, e.g. drinking from a cup and moving other complex objects. Sitting at a magnetic table subjects hold a 3D printed cup with an adjustable magnet and move this cup on the table to targets that can be drawn on the table surface. A ball rolling inside the cup can enhance the task challenge by introducing additional dynamics. A single video camera with a portable computer tracks real-time kinematics of the cup and the rolling ball using a custom-developed, color-based computer-vision algorithm. Preliminary verification with marker-based 3D-motion capture demonstrated that the device produces accurate kinematic measurements. Based on the real-time 2D cup coordinates, audio-visual feedback about performance can be delivered to increase motivation. The feasibility of using this device in clinical diagnostics is demonstrated on 2 neurotypical children and also 3 children with upper-extremity impairments in the hospital, where conventional motion-analysis systems are difficult to use. The device meets key needs for clinical practice: 1) a portable solution for quantitative motor assessment for upper-limb movement disorders at non-laboratory clinical settings, 2) a low-cost rehabilitation device that can increase the volume of in-home physical therapy, and 3) the device affords testing and training a variety of motor tasks inspired by daily challenges to enhance self-confidence to participate in day-to-day activities.
Highlights
An integral part of clinical care for individuals with motor disorders is to assess motor function to guide and evaluate medical treatment, surgical intervention or physical therapy
We showed that controlling a complex object with rich dynamics, such as a cup with a rolling ball inside, poses challenges that go beyond reaching and pointing [22], [24], [26], [31]
The exemplary planar position traces (DY1, NT1) show that path variability was considerably higher in the participant with dystonia for all difficulty levels
Summary
An integral part of clinical care for individuals with motor disorders is to assess motor function to guide and evaluate medical treatment, surgical intervention or physical therapy. One of the challenges for assessing motor function is to define sensitive and quantitative measures that can be readily obtained in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to develop a device that affords quantitative assessment of motor impairments in non-laboratory settings. We conclude with first results from pilot experiments acquired both in a traditional laboratory setting and in an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. These first data were obtained from children with dystonia. The device is not limited to this population and
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