A Framework to Automate Assessment of Upper-Limb Motor Function Impairment: A Feasibility Study

AbstractSeveral rehabilitation approaches have shown that robot-assisted therapy (robot-AT) can improve the quality of upper limb movements in children with cerebral palsy (CP). However, there is still no method for assessing upper limb motor function impairment using a combination of surface electromyography (sEMG) and inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors. The aim of this study was to develop a functional ability model to assess the effectiveness of robot-AT on improving upper limb function in children with CP. Fifteen healthy children and fifteen children with CP were included in this study. Children with CP performed eighteen robot-AT sessions and were evaluated twice, using EMG and three-axis IMU readings from accelerometer (IMU-ACC). Principal component analysis and the RELIEFF algorithm were used for dimensionality reduction of the feature space. The classification was performed by using support vector machines, linear discriminant analysis, and random forest. The proposed assessment method was evaluated by using leave-one-out cross validation. With this approach, it was possible to differentiate between healthy children and children with CP pre-robot-AT and post-robot-AT with an overall accuracy of 97.56%. This study suggests that there is potential for modeling the assessment of the upper limb motor function impairment in children with CP using sEMG and IMU-ACC sensors.

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Revisiting Poststroke Upper Limb Stratification: Resilience in a Larger Cohort

Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair ◽

10.1177/1545968321992048 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 154596832199204

Author(s):

Benjamin J. Varley ◽

Christine T. Shiner ◽

Liam Johnson ◽

Penelope A. McNulty ◽

Angelica G. Thompson-Butel

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Motor Function ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Hierarchical Cluster ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Stratification Method ◽

Wolf Motor Function Test ◽

Block Test ◽

Time Restriction ◽

Post Hoc

Background Upper limb (UL) impairment in stroke survivors is both multifactorial and heterogeneous. Stratification of motor function helps identify the most sensitive and appropriate assessments, which in turn aids the design of effective and individualized rehabilitation strategies. We previously developed a stratification method combining the Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT) and Box and Block Test (BBT) to stratify poststroke UL motor function. Objective To investigate the resilience of the stratification method in a larger cohort and establish its appropriateness for clinical practice by investigating limitations of the GPT completion time. Methods Post hoc analysis of motor function for 96 community-dwelling participants with stroke (n = 68 male, 28 female, age 60.8 ± 14 years, 24.4 ± 36.6 months poststroke) was performed using the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (F-M), BBT, and GPT. Hypothesis-free and hypothesis-based hierarchical cluster analyses were conducted to determine the resilience of the stratification method. Results The hypothesis-based analysis identified the same functional groupings as the hypothesis-free analysis: low (n = 32), moderate (n = 26), and high motor function (n = 38), with 3 exceptions. Thirty-three of the 38 participants with fine manual dexterity completed the GPT in ≤5 minutes. The remaining 5 participants took 6 to 25 minutes to place all 25 pegs but used alternative movement strategies to complete the test. The GPT time restriction changed the functional profile of the moderate and high motor function groups leading to more misclassifications. Conclusion The stratification method unambiguously classifies participants by UL motor function. While the inclusion of a 5-minute cutoff time for the GPT is preferred for clinical practice, it is not recommended for stratification purposes.

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Vagus nerve stimulation paired with rehabilitation for upper limb motor function after ischaemic stroke (VNS-REHAB): a randomised, blinded, pivotal, device trial

The Lancet ◽

10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00475-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 397 (10284) ◽

pp. 1545-1553 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jesse Dawson ◽

Charles Y Liu ◽

Gerard E Francisco ◽

Steven C Cramer ◽

Steven L Wolf ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischaemic Stroke ◽

Vagus Nerve ◽

Motor Function ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Nerve Stimulation ◽

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

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Upper limb proprioception and fine motor function in young pianists

Human Movement Science ◽

10.1016/j.humov.2020.102748 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 75 ◽

pp. 102748

Author(s):

Yu-Ting Tseng ◽

Fu-Chen Chen ◽

Chia-Liang Tsai ◽

Jürgen Konczak

Keyword(s):

Motor Function ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Fine Motor ◽

Fine Motor Function ◽

Limb Proprioception

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Tools and Techniques Used With Robotic Devices to Quantify Upper-Limb Function in Typically Developing Children: A Systematic Review

Rehabilitation Process and Outcome ◽

10.1177/1179572720979013 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 117957272097901

Author(s):

Stephan CD Dobri ◽

Hana M Ready ◽

Theresa Claire Davies

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Outcome Measures ◽

Motor Function ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Rate Of Change ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Typically Developing Children ◽

Upper Limb Function ◽

Robotic Devices ◽

Tools And Techniques

Background: Robotic devices have been used to quantify function, identify impairment, and rehabilitate motor function extensively in adults, but less-so in younger populations. The ability to perform motor actions improves as children grow. It is important to quantify this rate of change of the neurotypical population before attempting to identify impairment and target rehabilitation techniques. Objectives: For a population of typically developing children, this systematic review identifies and analyzes tools and techniques used with robotic devices to quantify upper-limb motor function. Since most of the papers also used robotic devices to compare function of neurotypical to pathological populations, a secondary objective was introduced to relate clinical outcome measures to identified robotic tools and techniques. Methods: Five databases were searched between February 2019 and August 2020, and 226 articles were found, 19 of which are included in the review. Results: Robotic devices, tasks, outcome measures, and clinical assessments were not consistent among studies from different settings but were consistent within laboratory groups. Fifteen of the 19 articles evaluated both typically developing and pathological populations. Conclusion: To optimize universally comparable outcomes in future work, it is recommended that a standard set of tasks and measures is used to assess upper-limb motor function. Standardized tasks and measures will facilitate effective rehabilitation.

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