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Sensors to Manage Chronic Complications

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2019) | Viewed by 17631

Special Issue Editor

Baylor College of Medicine, 7200 Cambridge Street, Rm B01.532 (iCAMP), Houston, TX, USA
Interests: wearable technology; digital health; fall prevention; cognitive impairment; exergame; gamification; diabetes care; diabetic foot; wound healing; telehealth; dementia; peripheral vascular disease; movement science; mobile health; population health; aging in place and well-built
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The dramatic increase in chronic conditions, including non-communicable disease (NCD), such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and mental illness, across the globe has demanded immediate and creative actions to provide solutions for a plethora of unmet needs. Currently, more individuals are dying of chronic NCD than of acute diseases associated with disasters, trauma, or infection. Moreover, our population continues to age and live longer. More than 10,000 Americans reach Medicare age every day, some of whom will develop multiple chronic conditions and account for a large share of Medicare spending. All of these factors continue to overwhelm unchanging healthcare delivery systems. In response, many healthcare providers are re-engineering their pathways of care for patients with chronic disease to promote alternatives to repeated hospitalizations. Because management of chronic conditions requires lifestyle and daily behavior change, a greater emphasis must be placed on the patient’s central role and responsibility in healthcare. Focusing on the patient in this way constitutes an important shift in current clinical practice. At present, systems relegate the patient to the role of passive recipient of care, missing the opportunity to leverage what he or she can do to promote personal health. Healthcare for chronic conditions must be re-oriented around the patient and caregivers.  This Special Issue is focused on new developments in the area of sensors and sensor-based algorithm design that could facilitate management of chronic conditions including enabling doctors to provide personalized care, empowering patients to be engaged in taking care of their own health, and helping home caregivers and care providers to keep the elderly in their homes rather than moving them to assisted-living centers. Some of examples of these sensors/algorithms could be new sensors to monitor cognitive impairment and dementia,  sensors to reduce risk of readmission risk and care post hospital discharge, sensors to monitor frailty, sensors to improvement care management for those suffering from dementia,  sensors to improve patient adherence, sensors to better monitor sleep and stress, sensors for remote monitoring health and wellbeing, sensors to monitor and manage pain, sensors to manage diabetic foot complications, sensors to improve quality of life of cancer survivors/stroke survivors, sensors to manage environmental conditions that may impact health and wellbeing such as humidity, temperature, light, CO2, etc.

Prof. Dr. Bijan Najafi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • non-communicable disease
  • management of chronic conditions
  • wearables
  • digital health
  • mobile health
  • aging in place
  • sleep
  • stress
  • pain
  • patient engagement
  • foot problem
  • gamification
  • home care
  • optimized care
  • healthcare delivery
  • in-place care
  • remote care
  • telemedicine
  • telehealth
  • cognitive impairment
  • dementia
  • activities of daily living
  • instrumental activities of daily living
  • life space
  • geo-space
  • sensors
  • wellbeing
  • well-built
  • population health
  • environmental condition
  • quality of life

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 888 KiB  
Communication
Development and Validation of Ambulosono: A Wearable Sensor for Bio-Feedback Rehabilitation Training
by Taylor Chomiak, Abhijot Singh Sidhu, Alexander Watts, Luke Su, Brian Graham, Joshua Wu, Suzanne Classen, Brian Falter and Bin Hu
Sensors 2019, 19(3), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19030686 - 08 Feb 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4464
Abstract
Wearable technology-based measurement systems hold potential for the therapeutic and rehabilitation management of patients with various chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy and test–retest reliability of a new-generation wearable sensor-based system, dubbed Ambulosono, for bio-feedback training. The [...] Read more.
Wearable technology-based measurement systems hold potential for the therapeutic and rehabilitation management of patients with various chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy and test–retest reliability of a new-generation wearable sensor-based system, dubbed Ambulosono, for bio-feedback training. The Ambulosono sensor system was cross-validated by comparing its functionality with the iPod touch (4th generation) sensor system. Fifteen participants underwent a gait test to measure various gait parameters while wearing both the iPod-based and Ambulosono sensors simultaneously. The physically measured values (i.e., the true values) of step length, distance traveled, velocity, and cadence were then compared to those obtained via the two-sensor systems using the same calculation algorithms. While the mean percentage error was <10% for all measured parameters, and the intra-class correlation coefficient revealed a high level of agreement between trials for both sensor systems, it was found that the Ambulosono sensor system outperformed the iPod-based system in some respects. The Ambulosono sensor system possessed both reliability and accuracy in obtaining gait parameter measurements, which suggests it can serve as an economical alternative to the iPod-based system that is currently used in various clinical rehabilitation programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors to Manage Chronic Complications)
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9 pages, 237 KiB  
Article
Towards Using the Instrumented Timed Up-and-Go Test for Screening of Sensory System Performance for Balance Control in Older Adults
by Thomas Gerhardy, Katharina Gordt, Carl-Philipp Jansen and Michael Schwenk
Sensors 2019, 19(3), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19030622 - 01 Feb 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4068
Abstract
Background: Decreasing performance of the sensory systems’ for balance control, including the visual, somatosensory and vestibular system, is associated with increased fall risk in older adults. A smartphone-based version of the Timed Up-and-Go (mTUG) may allow screening sensory balance impairments through mTUG [...] Read more.
Background: Decreasing performance of the sensory systems’ for balance control, including the visual, somatosensory and vestibular system, is associated with increased fall risk in older adults. A smartphone-based version of the Timed Up-and-Go (mTUG) may allow screening sensory balance impairments through mTUG subphases. The association between mTUG subphases and sensory system performance is examined. Methods: Functional mobility of forty-one community-dwelling older adults (>55 years) was measured using a validated mTUG. Duration of mTUG and its subphases ‘sit-to-walk’, ‘walking’, ‘turning’, ‘turn-to-sit’ and ‘sit-down’ were extracted. Sensory systems’ performance was quantified by validated posturography during standing (30 s) under different conditions. Visual, somatosensory and vestibular control ratios (CR) were calculated from posturography and correlated with mTUG subphases. Results: Vestibular CR correlated with mTUG total time (r = 0.54; p < 0.01), subphases ‘walking’ (r = 0.56; p < 0.01), and ‘turning’ (r = 0.43; p = 0.01). Somatosensory CR correlated with mTUG total time (r = 0.52; p = 0.01), subphases ‘walking’ (r = 0.52; p < 0.01) and ‘turning’ (r = 0.44; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Supporting the proposed approach, results indicate an association between specific mTUG subphases and sensory system performance. mTUG subphases ‘walking’ and ‘turning’ may allow screening for sensory system deterioration. This is a first step towards an objective, detailed and expeditious balance control assessment, however needing validation in a larger study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors to Manage Chronic Complications)
15 pages, 2963 KiB  
Article
Hemodialysis Impact on Motor Function beyond Aging and Diabetes—Objectively Assessing Gait and Balance by Wearable Technology
by He Zhou, Fadwa Al-Ali, Hadi Rahemi, Nishat Kulkarni, Abdullah Hamad, Rania Ibrahim, Talal K. Talal and Bijan Najafi
Sensors 2018, 18(11), 3939; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18113939 - 14 Nov 2018
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4179
Abstract
Motor functions are deteriorated by aging. Some conditions may magnify this deterioration. This study examined whether hemodialysis (HD) process would negatively impact gait and balance beyond diabetes condition among mid-age adults (48–64 years) and older adults (65+ years). One hundred and ninety-six subjects [...] Read more.
Motor functions are deteriorated by aging. Some conditions may magnify this deterioration. This study examined whether hemodialysis (HD) process would negatively impact gait and balance beyond diabetes condition among mid-age adults (48–64 years) and older adults (65+ years). One hundred and ninety-six subjects (age = 66.2 ± 9.1 years, body-mass-index = 30.1 ± 6.4 kg/m2, female = 56%) in 5 groups were recruited: mid-age adults with diabetes undergoing HD (Mid-age HD+, n = 38) and without HD (Mid-age HD−, n = 40); older adults with diabetes undergoing HD (Older HD+, n = 36) and without HD (Older HD−, n = 37); and non-diabetic older adults (Older DM−, n = 45). Gait parameters (stride velocity, stride length, gait cycle time, and double support) and balance parameters (ankle, hip, and center of mass sways) were quantified using validated wearable platforms. Groups with diabetes had overall poorer gait and balance compared to the non-diabetic group (p < 0.050). Among people with diabetes, HD+ had significantly worsened gait and balance when comparing to HD− (Cohen’s effect size d = 0.63–2.32, p < 0.050). Between-group difference was more pronounced among older adults with the largest effect size observed for stride length (d = 2.32, p < 0.001). Results suggested that deterioration in normalized gait speed among HD+ was negatively correlated with age (r = −0.404, p < 0.001), while this correlation was diminished among HD−. Interestingly, results also suggested that poor gait among Older HD− is related to poor ankle stability, while no correlation was observed between poor ankle stability and poor gait among Older HD+. Using objective assessments, results confirmed that the presence of diabetes can deteriorate gait and balance, and this deterioration can be magnified by HD process. Among HD− people with diabetes, poor ankle stability described poor gait. However, among people with diabetes undergoing HD, age was a dominate factor describing poor gait irrespective of static balance. Results also suggested feasibility of using wearable platforms to quantify motor performance during routine dialysis clinic visit. These objective assessments may assist in identifying early deterioration in motor function, which in turn may promote timely intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors to Manage Chronic Complications)
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10 pages, 641 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Pain Relief on Daily Physical Activity: In-Home Objective Physical Activity Assessment in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients after Paravertebral Spinal Block
by Tzu Chuan Yen, Jane Mohler, Michael Dohm, Kaveh Laksari, Bijan Najafi and Nima Toosizadeh
Sensors 2018, 18(9), 3048; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18093048 - 12 Sep 2018
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4262
Abstract
This study evaluates the effect of paravertebral spinal injection (PSI), utilizing both subjective and objective assessments in chronic low back pain (LBP) associated with facet joint arthrosis over a one-month duration. Subjective questionnaires included the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, the Oswestry [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the effect of paravertebral spinal injection (PSI), utilizing both subjective and objective assessments in chronic low back pain (LBP) associated with facet joint arthrosis over a one-month duration. Subjective questionnaires included the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, the Oswestry Disability Index, the Health Survey SF-12, and the short Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I). Objective assessments included in-clinic gait and Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests using wearable sensors, as well as 48 h daily physical activity (DPA) monitored using a chest-worn triaxial accelerometer. Subjective and objective measures were performed prior to treatment, immediately after the treatment, and one month after the treatment. Eight LBP patients were recruited for this study (mean age = 54 ± 13 years, body mass index = 31.41 ± 6.52 kg/m2, 50% males). Results show significant decrease in pain (~55%, p < 0.05) and disability (Oswestry scores, ~21%, p < 0.05). In-clinic gait and TUG were also significantly improved (~16% and ~18% faster walking and shorter TUG, p < 0.05); however, DPA, including the percentage of physical activities (walking and standing) and the number of steps, showed no significant change after PSI (p > 0.25; effect size ≤ 0.44). We hypothesize that DPA may continue to be truncated to an extent by conditioned fear-avoidance, a psychological state that may prevent increase in daily physical activity to avoid pain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors to Manage Chronic Complications)
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