Visualizing and Evaluating Finger Movement Using Combined Acceleration and Contact-Force Sensors: A Proof-of-Concept Study

The 10-s grip and release is a method to evaluate hand dexterity. Current evaluations only visually determine the presence or absence of a disability, but experienced physicians may also make other diagnoses. In this study, we investigated a method for evaluating hand movement function by acquiring and analyzing fingertip data during a 10-s grip and release using a wearable sensor that can measure triaxial acceleration and strain. The subjects were two healthy females. The analysis was performed on the x-, y-, and z-axis data, and absolute acceleration and contact force of all fingertips. We calculated the variability of the data, the number of grip and release, the frequency response, and each finger’s correlation. Experiments with some grip-and-release patterns have resulted in different characteristics for each. It was suggested that this could be expressed in radar charts to intuitively know the state of grip and release. Contact-force data of each finger were found to be useful for understanding the characteristics of grip and release and improving the accuracy of calculating the number of times to grip and release. Frequency analysis suggests that knowing the periodicity of grip and release can detect unnatural grip and release and tremor states. The correlations between the fingers allow us to consider the finger’s grip-and-release characteristics, considering the hand’s anatomy. By taking these factors into account, it is thought that the 10-s grip-and-release test could give us a new value by objectively assessing the motor functions of the hands other than the number of times of grip and release.

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Hand Dexterity Impairment in Patients with Cervical Myelopathy: A New Quantitative Assessment Using a Natural Prehension Movement

Behavioural Neurology ◽

10.1155/2018/5138234 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Masao Omori ◽

Satoshi Shibuya ◽

Tsuyoshi Nakajima ◽

Takashi Endoh ◽

Shinya Suzuki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cervical Myelopathy ◽

Movement Time ◽

Objective Assessment ◽

Cord Compression ◽

Assessment System ◽

Small Object ◽

Reach To Grasp ◽

Japanese Orthopedic Association ◽

Hand Dexterity ◽

Grip And Release Test

Cervical myelopathy (CM) caused by spinal cord compression can lead to reduced hand dexterity. However, except for the 10 sec grip-and-release test, there is no objective assessment system for hand dexterity in patients with CM. Therefore, we evaluated the hand dexterity impairment of patients with CM objectively by asking them to perform a natural prehension movement. Twenty-three patients with CM and 30 age-matched controls were asked to reach for and grasp a small object with their right thumb and index finger and to subsequently lift and hold it. To examine the effects of tactile afferents from the fingers, objects with surface materials of differing textures (silk, suede, and sandpaper) were used. All patients also underwent the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) test. Preoperative patients showed significantly greater grip aperture during reach-to-grasp movements and weaker grip force than controls only while attempting to lift the most slippery object (silk). Patients, immediately after surgery, (n=15) tended to show improvements in the JOA score and in reaction time and movement time with respect to reaching movements. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that some parameters of the prehension task could successfully predict subjective evaluations of dexterous hand movements based on JOA scores. These results suggest that quantitative assessments using prehension movements could be useful to objectively evaluate hand dexterity impairment in patients with CM.

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The Effect of Body Position and Number of Supports on Wall Reaction Forces in Rock Climbing

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.13.1.14 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 14-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Franck Quaine ◽

Luc Martin ◽

Jean-Pierre Blanchi

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Contact Force ◽

Body Position ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Rock Climbing ◽

Contact Forces ◽

Vertical Posture ◽

Reaction Forces ◽

Force Data ◽

Lower Contact

This manuscript describes three-dimensional force data collected during postural shifts performed by individuals simulating rock-climbing skills. Starting from a quadrupedal vertical posture, 6 expert climbers had to release their right-hand holds and maintain the tripedal posture for a few seconds. The vertical and contact forces (lateral and anteroposterior forces) applied on the holds were analyzed in two positions: an “imposed” position (the trunk far from the supporting wall) and an “optimized” position (the trunk close to the wall and lower contact forces at the holds). The tripedal postures performed in the two positions were achieved by the same pattern of vertical and contact forces exerted by the limbs on the holds. In the optimized position, the transfer of the forces was less extensive than in the imposed position, so that the forces were exerted primarily on the ipsilateral hold. Moreover, a link between the contact force values and the couple due to body weight with respect to the feet was shown.

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51 Contact Force Data Availability Reduces Acute Pulmonary Vein Reconnection: Early Results from the Smart AF Trial: Abstract 51 Table 1

Heart ◽

10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308066.51 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 101 (Suppl 4) ◽

pp. A29.1-A29

Author(s):

Waqas Ullah ◽

Ailsa McLean ◽

Muzahir Tayebjee ◽

Dhiraj Gupta ◽

Matthew Ginks ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pulmonary Vein ◽

Contact Force ◽

Data Availability ◽

Early Results ◽

Force Data ◽

Pulmonary Vein Reconnection

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Effect of Gloves on Sense and Hand Movement Function.

Sen i Gakkaishi ◽

10.2115/fiber.54.6_325 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 54 (6) ◽

pp. 325-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Takako Fujimoto ◽

Junko Kuze ◽

Reiko Matsuda

Keyword(s):

Hand Movement ◽

Movement Function

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Configuration Selection, Modeling, and Preliminary Testing in Support of Constant Force Electrical Connectors

Journal of Electronic Packaging ◽

10.1115/1.2721080 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 129 (3) ◽

pp. 236-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Brent L. Weight ◽

Christopher A. Mattson ◽

Spencer P. Magleby ◽

Larry L. Howell

Keyword(s):

Contact Force ◽

Normal Force ◽

Low Cost ◽

Personal Digital Assistant ◽

Small Scale ◽

Constant Force ◽

Proof Of Concept ◽

Preliminary Testing ◽

Configuration Selection ◽

Manufacturing Tolerances

The recent introduction and advancements in design of simple, constant-force mechanisms have created the potential for small-scale, low-cost, constant-force electronic connectors (CFECs). CFECs differ from traditional connectors by the separation or disassociation of contact normal force and contact deflection. By removing the traditional constraints imposed by forces and deflections that are dependent on each other, new types of electronic connectors can be explored. These new designs may lead to smaller and more reliable electronic connectors. In this paper, constant-force mechanisms are adapted to satisfy current industry practices for the design of electronic connectors. Different CFEC configurations are explored and one is selected, prototyped, and used as a proof-of-concept connector for a personal digital assistant (PDA) docking station. The modeling, optimization, and verification of the prototype CFEC is presented. Adaptation of constant-force technology to electronic connectors creates new possibilities in electronic connector designs, including allowing an optimal contact force to be utilized to decrease the effects of fretting and wear, lowering required manufacturing tolerances, reducing the system’s sensitivity to variations introduced by the user, and increasing the system’s robustness in applications where movement or vibrations exist.

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At-home biofeedback therapy with wearable sensor and smartphone application: proof of concept

10.1109/telfor52709.2021.9653388 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alma Secerbegovic ◽

Mustafa Spahic ◽

Amir Hasanbasic ◽

Haris Hadzic ◽

Vedad Mesic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Smartphone Application ◽

Proof Of Concept ◽

Wearable Sensor ◽

Biofeedback Therapy ◽

At Home

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Neurofeedback fMRI in the motor system elicits bi-directional changes in activity and white-matter structure in the healthy adult human brain

10.1101/2020.08.06.234526 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Cassandra Sampaio-Baptista ◽

Heather F. Neyedli ◽

Zeena-Britt Sanders ◽

Kata Diosi ◽

David Havard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Motor Cortex ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Hand Movement ◽

Proof Of Concept ◽

White Matter Microstructure ◽

Regulation Of Activity ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Dti

Neurofeedback can be used to alter brain activity and is therefore an attractive tool for neuromodulation in clinical contexts. Different contexts might call for different patterns of activity modulation. For example, following stroke, alternative therapeutic strategies could involve up or down-regulation of activity in the ipsilateral motor cortex. However, effects of such strategies on activity and brain structure are unknown. In a proof of concept study in healthy individuals, we showed that fMRI neurofeedback can be used to drive activity up or down in ipsilateral motor cortex during hand movement. Given evidence for activitydependent white matter plasticity, we also tested effects of activity modulation on white matter microstructure using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We show rapid opposing changes in corpus callosum microstructure that depend on the direction of activity modulation. Bidirectional modulation of ipsilateral motor cortex activity is therefore possible, and results not only in online changes in activity patterns, but also in changes in microstructure detectable 24 hours later.

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Robust Automated Step Extraction From Time-Series Contact Force Data Using the PDShoe

IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering ◽

10.1109/tnsre.2014.2382641 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 1012-1019 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kyle N. Winfree ◽

Ingrid Pretzer-Aboff ◽

Sunil K. Agrawal

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Contact Force ◽

Force Data

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Characteristics of Peripheral Immune Function in Reproductive Females with Uterine Leiomyoma

Journal of Oncology ◽

10.1155/2019/5935640 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Zhi-Qin Liu ◽

Mei-Yin Lu ◽

Ru-Liang Sun ◽

Zhi-nan Yin ◽

Bin Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Immune Function ◽

Uterine Leiomyoma ◽

Menstrual Period ◽

Proof Of Concept ◽

Menstrual Cycles ◽

Clinical Phenotypes ◽

Reproductive Females ◽

Pelvic Lesions ◽

Healthy Females

Inflammation and immunity are thought as risk factors for uterine leiomyoma; however, detailed reports on this topic are scarce. The present study aimed to analyze the characteristics of immune function and clinical significance of circulating CD4/CD8 T, NK, and γδ T cells in reproductive females with uterine leiomyoma. We analyzed the above-mentioned cells in 30 reproductive females with uterine leiomyoma and 68 healthy females using flow cytometry. After that, the correlation between function of immune cells and clinical phenotypes was analyzed. Compared with healthy controls, central memory (CM) CD4/CD8 T cells as well as Treg and Tfh cells were notably increased in leiomyoma patients; however, NK and γδ T cells were decreased in patients. Moreover, such alterations of these cells in patients with leiomyoma were associated with shorter menstrual cycles, longer menstrual period, anemia, pelvic lesions, more and larger myomas, and higher levels of CA125. Additionally, the increased Tfh1/Tfh2 ratio and Tfh17 were significantly associated with longer menstrual period, more myomas, and higher CA125 levels independent of age in patients with uterine leiomyoma. In conclusion, hallmarks of peripheral immune function are remarkably correlated with clinical phenotypes in reproductive females with uterine leiomyoma. This preliminary work may provide proof-of-concept for evaluating efficacy of treatment and prognosis of reproductive females with uterine leiomyoma with the help of quantitative analysis of peripheral immune function, which may inspire performing further investigations on the relevance of immune function with different diseases.

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