Abstract
Spasticity is a disabling characteristic of neurological disorders, described by a velocity-dependent increase in muscle tone during passive stretch. During the last few years, many studies have been carried out to assess spasticity using wearable IMU (inertial measurements unit) sensors. This review aims to provide an updated framework of the current research on IMUs wearable sensors in people living with spasticity in recent studies published between 2017 and 2021. A total of 322 articles were screened, then finally 10 articles were selected. Results show the lack of homogenization of study procedures and missing apparatus information in some studies. Still, most studies performed adequately on measures of reporting and found that IMUs wearable data was successful in their respective purposes and goals. As IMUs estimate translational and rotational body motions, we believe there is a strong potential for these applications to estimate velocity-dependent exaggeration of stretch reflexes and spasticity-related characteristics in spasticity. This review also proposes new directions of research that should be challenged by larger study groups and could be of interest to both researchers as well as clinicians. The use of IMUs to evaluate spasticity is a promising avenue to provide an objective measurement as compared to non-instrumented traditional assessments.
Highlights
Spasticity is a common syndrome in people with neurological impairments [1]
This systematic review aims to provide an updated framework of the current research in the use of Inertial measurement units (IMUs)-based wearable sensors in people living with spasticity
As this review represents a summary of recent studies that used wearable IMUs in people living with spasticity, conducted outside and inside of the lab environments, the quality of each of the included articles was assessed using a custom quality assessment worksheet (Table 3)
Summary
Spasticity is a common syndrome in people with neurological impairments [1]. It is characterized by a velocity-dependent exaggeration of stretch reflexes and described by uncontrolled muscle overactivity that occurs when nerves operating muscle movement are demyelinated due to the disease process [2,3,4]. Spasticity may manifest in different motor dysfunctions as weakness, impairment of fine movements of the digits, hyperreflexia, loss of cutaneous reflexes, Babinski’s sign, clonus, spasms, and changes in posture [5], which all directly impact quality of life (QoL). Measurement of spasticity is important to achieve effective management whether surgical, physical activity (e.g., stretching), pharmacologic (e.g., botulinum toxin focal injection), or instrumental (e.g., muscle vibration, bracing) [8,9,10]. Adequate assessment of spasticity is important in minimising the degree of disability [11]
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