scholarly journals A Pilot Study Quantifying Center of Mass Trajectory during Dynamic Balance Tasks Using an HTC Vive Tracker Fixed to the Pelvis

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 8034
Author(s):  
Susanne M. van der Veen ◽  
James S. Thomas

Fall rates are increasing among the aging population and even higher falls rates have been reported in populations with neurological impairments. The Berg Balance Scale is often used to assess balance in older adults and has been validated for use in people with stroke, traumatic brain injury, and Parkinson’s disease. While the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) has been found to be predictive of the length of rehabilitation stay following stroke, a recent review concluded the BBS lacked predictive validity for fall risk. Conversely, sophisticated measures assessing center of mass (COM) displacement have shown to be predictive of falls risk. However, calculating COM displacement is difficult to measure outside a laboratory. Accordingly, we sought to validate COM displacement measurements derived from an HTC Vive tracker secured to the pelvis by comparing it to COM derived from ‘gold’ standard laboratory-based full-body motion capture. Results showed that RMS between the COM calculated from HTC Vive tracker and full body motion capture agree with an average error rate of 2.1 ± 2.6 cm. Therefore, we conclude measurement of COM displacement using an HTC Vive tracker placed on the pelvis is reasonably representative of laboratory-based measurement of COM displacement.

2021 ◽  
pp. 154596832110193
Author(s):  
Sungwoo Park ◽  
Chang Liu ◽  
Natalia Sánchez ◽  
Julie K. Tilson ◽  
Sara J. Mulroy ◽  
...  

Background People poststroke often walk with a spatiotemporally asymmetric gait, due in part to sensorimotor impairments in the paretic lower extremity. Although reducing asymmetry is a common objective of rehabilitation, the effects of improving symmetry on balance are yet to be determined. Objective We established the concurrent validity of whole-body angular momentum as a measure of balance, and we determined if reducing step length asymmetry would improve balance by decreasing whole-body angular momentum. Methods We performed clinical balance assessments and measured whole-body angular momentum during walking using a full-body marker set in a sample of 36 people with chronic stroke. We then used a biofeedback-based approach to modify step length asymmetry in a subset of 15 of these individuals who had marked asymmetry and we measured the resulting changes in whole-body angular momentum. Results When participants walked without biofeedback, whole-body angular momentum in the sagittal and frontal plane was negatively correlated with scores on the Berg Balance Scale and Functional Gait Assessment supporting the validity of whole-body angular momentum as an objective measure of dynamic balance. We also observed that when participants walked more symmetrically, their whole-body angular momentum in the sagittal plane increased rather than decreased. Conclusions Voluntary reductions of step length asymmetry in people poststroke resulted in reduced measures of dynamic balance. This is consistent with the idea that after stroke, individuals might have an implicit preference not to deviate from their natural asymmetry while walking because it could compromise their balance. Clinical Trials Number: NCT03916562.


2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulla Hohtari-Kivimäki ◽  
Marika Salminen ◽  
Tero Vahlberg ◽  
Sirkka-Liisa Kivelä

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16
Author(s):  
Wildja De Lima Gomes ◽  
Thais Botossi Scalha ◽  
Lucas Brino Mota ◽  
Viviane Almeida Kuroda ◽  
Juliana Cintra Garrafa ◽  
...  

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on static and dynamic balance after the use of textured insoles. Method: Fifteen subjects with multiple sclerosis were evaluated before using the insoles, after using them for 1 month, and after 2 months without using, them using the following measuring instruments: the Berg Balance Scale, Dynamic Gait Index, and 10-meter Walk Test, a means of functional gait assessment. Results: Improvement was observed in the Berg Balance Scale and Dynamic Gait Index scores, walking time, number of steps and step length after using the insoles for 1 month. The improvement in Berg Balance Scale score remained after two months without the insoles and there were no changes in gait speed. Conclusion: The use of textured insoles was effective as an intervention to improve static and dynamic balance in patients with multiple sclerosis.


Sensors ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 24297-24317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiquan Gao ◽  
Yao Yu ◽  
Yu Zhou ◽  
Sidan Du
Keyword(s):  

2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Godi ◽  
Franco Franchignoni ◽  
Marco Caligari ◽  
Andrea Giordano ◽  
Anna Maria Turcato ◽  
...  

Background Recently, a new tool for assessing dynamic balance impairments has been presented: the 14-item Mini-BESTest. Objective The aim of this study was to compare the psychometric performance of the Mini-BESTest and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Design A prospective, single-group, observational design was used in the study. Methods Ninety-three participants (mean age=66.2 years, SD=13.2; 53 women, 40 men) with balance deficits were recruited. Interrater (3 raters) and test-retest (1–3 days) reliability were calculated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Responsiveness and minimal important change were assessed (after 10 sessions of physical therapy) using both distribution-based and anchor-based methods (external criterion: the 15-point Global Rating of Change [GRC] scale). Results At baseline, neither floor effects nor ceiling effects were found in either the Mini-BESTest or the BBS. After treatment, the maximum score was found in 12 participants (12.9%) with BBS and in 2 participants (2.1%) with Mini-BESTest. Test-retest reliability for total scores was significantly higher for the Mini-BESTest (ICC=.96) than for the BBS (ICC=.92), whereas interrater reliability was similar (ICC=.98 versus .97, respectively). The standard error of measurement (SEM) was 1.26 and the minimum detectable change at the 95% confidence level (MDC95) was 3.5 points for Mini-BESTest, whereas the SEM was 2.18 and the MDC95 was 6.2 points for the BBS. In receiver operating characteristic curves, the area under the curve was 0.92 for the Mini-BESTest and 0.91 for the BBS. The best minimal important change (MIC) was 4 points for the Mini-BESTest and 7 points for the BBS. After treatment, 38 participants evaluated with the Mini-BESTest and only 23 participants evaluated with the BBS (out of the 40 participants who had a GRC score of ≥3.5) showed a score change equal to or greater than the MIC values. Limitations The consecutive sampling method drawn from a single rehabilitation facility and the intrinsic weakness of the GRC for calculating MIC values were limitations of the study. Conclusions The 2 scales behave similarly, but the Mini-BESTest appears to have a lower ceiling effect, slightly higher reliability levels, and greater accuracy in classifying individual patients who show significant improvement in balance function.


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