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Sensors and Technology-Assisted Dual-Task Cognitive Motor Rehabilitation

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2024 | Viewed by 4824

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Tanvi Bhatt

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Guest Editor

Department of Physical Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
Interests: neurorehabilitation; balance control; perturbation training; exergaming; falls prevention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Shuaijie (Jay) Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Physical Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
Interests: gait analysis; fall prevention; biomechanics; slip perturbation; balance control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inertial sensors and RGBD cameras can be used for hands-free interaction with computer applications and video games which involve a wide range of visuomotor and executive cognitive activities. In addition, a number of dual-task studies have used treadmills instrumented with force sensor or pressure mapping systems. The use and application of these sensor technologies provide a standardized method to evaluate and treat a wide range of executive cognitive activities and assess gait performance and balance control while performing complex motor behaviors such as various balance perturbations and treadmill walking, i.e., dual-task protocols.

The quantification of simple to complex cognitive–motor interactions has the potential to be a valid non-invasive biomarker for the early detection of balance–mobility limitations and cognitive impairments in people with dementia, neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, and traumatic brain injuries. This Special Issue will highlight the range of sensors, technologies, digital media, and machine learning which are currently being used and those which are emerging as best practices regarding their specifications, acceptability/usability, early diagnosis of dementia and falls prediction, engagement, and therapeutic effects.

Prof. Dr. Tanvi Bhatt
Dr. Shuaijie (Jay) Wang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

mobility limitations
cognitive impairment
gait stability
balance perturbation
exergames
virtual reality
computerized dual-task analysis
falls risk analysis
machine learning

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 992 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Prodromal Digital Postural Sway Markers for Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS) Detected via Dual-Tasking and Sensory Manipulation

by Emily C. Timm, Nicollette L. Purcell, Bichun Ouyang, Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, Deborah A. Hall and Joan Ann O’Keefe

Sensors 2024, 24(8), 2586; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24082586 - 18 Apr 2024

Viewed by 363

Abstract

FXTAS is a neurodegenerative disorder occurring in some Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene premutation carriers (PMCs) and is characterized by cerebellar ataxia, tremor, and cognitive deficits that negatively impact balance and gait and increase fall risk. Dual-tasking (DT) cognitive-motor paradigms and challenging balance conditions may have the capacity to reveal markers of FXTAS onset. Our objectives were to determine the impact of dual-tasking and sensory and stance manipulation on balance in FXTAS and potentially detect subtle postural sway deficits in FMR1 PMCs who are asymptomatic for signs of FXTAS on clinical exam. Participants with FXTAS, PMCs without FXTAS, and controls underwent balance testing using an inertial sensor system. Stance, vision, surface stability, and cognitive demand were manipulated in 30 s trials. FXTAS participants had significantly greater total sway area, jerk, and RMS sway than controls under almost all balance conditions but were most impaired in those requiring vestibular control. PMCs without FXTAS had significantly greater RMS sway compared with controls in the feet apart, firm, single task conditions both with eyes open and closed (EC) and the feet together, firm, EC, DT condition. Postural sway deficits in the RMS postural sway variability domain in asymptomatic PMCs might represent prodromal signs of FXTAS. This information may be useful in providing sensitive biomarkers of FXTAS onset and as quantitative balance measures in future interventional trials and longitudinal natural history studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors and Technology-Assisted Dual-Task Cognitive Motor Rehabilitation)

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11 pages, 1743 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Starting Knee Flexion Angle on Muscle Activity and Performance during Plyometrics without Jumping

by Maximiliano Torres-Banduc, Ignacio Chirosa-Ríos, Luis Chirosa-Ríos and Daniel Jerez-Mayorga

Sensors 2024, 24(1), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24010044 (registering DOI) - 20 Dec 2023

Viewed by 789

Abstract

Most of the existing research has focused on jump plyometrics, where landing reaction forces must be dissipated among lower limb articulations. In contrast, the investigation of resisted plyometrics without jumping, devoid of such landing forces, remains relatively limited. This study aimed to (i) investigate the impact of resisted plyometrics without jumping at two knee flexion angles (60 and 90 degrees) on vastus muscle activity relative to limb dominance and (ii) assess strength, power, and work during the concentric–eccentric phases of these exercises. Thirty-one healthy participants underwent quantification of lower limb muscle amplitude, strength, power, and work during resisted plyometrics without jumping from both 60° and 90° knee flexion positions. After anthropometric evaluations, participants used a dynamometer with a load equal to 80% of body weight while wireless surface electromyography electrodes recorded data. Statistical analyses utilized paired t-tests or nonparametric equivalents and set significance at p ≤ 0.05. Results showed significantly higher muscle activity in the vastus medialis (VM) (dominant: 47.4%, p = 0.0008, rs = 0.90; nondominant: 54.8%, p = 0.047, rs = 0.88) and vastus lateralis (VL) (dominant: 46.9%, p = 0.0004, rs = 0.86; nondominant: 48.1%, p = 0.021, rs = 0.67) muscles when exercises started at 90° knee flexion, regardless of limb dominance. Substantial intermuscle differences occurred at both 60° (50.4%, p = 0.003, rs = 0.56) and 90° (54.8%, p = 0.005, rs = 0.62) knee flexion, favoring VM in the nondominant leg. Concentric and eccentric strength, power, and work metrics significantly increased when initiating exercises from a 90° position. In conclusion, commencing resisted plyometrics without jumping at a 90° knee flexion position increases VM and VL muscle activity, regardless of limb dominance. Furthermore, it enhances strength, power, and work, emphasizing the importance of knee flexion position customization for optimizing muscle engagement and functional performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors and Technology-Assisted Dual-Task Cognitive Motor Rehabilitation)

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12 pages, 3041 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measuring System for Synchronous Recording of Kinematic and Force Data during Handover Action of Human Dyads

by Dieter F. Kutz, Lena Kopnarski, Jochen Püschel, Julian Rudisch and Claudia Voelcker-Rehage

Sensors 2023, 23(24), 9694; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23249694 - 08 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 766

Abstract

Handover actions are joint actions between two people in which an object is handed over from a giver to a receiver. This necessitates precise coordination and synchronization of both the reach and grasp kinematics and the scaling of grip forces of the actors during the interaction. For this purpose, a measurement object is presented that records the grip forces of both actors on the instrument and allows synchronous measurement of the kinematic data of both actors and the position and orientation of the instrument in space using an optical motion capture system. Additionally, the object allows one to alter its weight in a covert fashion so that it cannot be anticipated by the actors. It is shown that the four phases of a handover, (1) reach and grasp, (2) object transport, (3) object transfer, and (4) end of handover, can be clearly identified with the described measurement system. This allows the user to measure movement kinematics and grip forces during the individual phases with high precision and therefore systematically investigate handover actions. Using exemplary data, we demonstrate in this study how movement kinematics and grip forces during a handover depend on the characteristics of the object to be measured (i.e., its size or weight). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors and Technology-Assisted Dual-Task Cognitive Motor Rehabilitation)

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16 pages, 2726 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Cognitive Task, Gait Speed, and Age on Cognitive–Motor Interference during Walking

by Jessica Pitts, Kunal Singhal, Yashashree Apte, Prakruti Patel, Lakshmi Kannan and Tanvi Bhatt

Sensors 2023, 23(17), 7368; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23177368 - 24 Aug 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1091

Abstract

Dual-tasking can cause cognitive–motor interference (CMI) and affect task performance. This study investigated the effects of age, gait speed, and type of cognitive task on CMI during gait. Ten younger and 10 older adults walked on a pressure-sensitive GAITRite walkway which recorded gait speed and step length. Participants walked at a slow, preferred, or fast speed while simultaneously completing four cognitive tasks: visuomotor reaction time (VMRT), serial subtraction (SS), word list generation (WLG), and visual Stroop (VS). Each combination of task and speed was repeated for two trials. Tasks were also performed while standing. Motor and cognitive costs were calculated with the formula: ((single-dual)/single × 100). Higher costs indicate a larger reduction in performance from single to dual-task. Motor costs were higher for WLG and SS than VMRT and VS and higher in older adults (p < 0.05). Cognitive costs were higher for SS than WLG (p = 0.001). At faster speeds, dual-task costs increased for WLG and SS, although decreased for VMRT. CMI was highest for working memory, language, and problem-solving tasks, which was reduced by slow walking. Aging increased CMI, although both ages were affected similarly by task and speed. Dual-task assessments could include challenging CMI conditions to improve the prediction of motor and cognitive status. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors and Technology-Assisted Dual-Task Cognitive Motor Rehabilitation)

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28 pages, 1858 KiB

Open AccessArticle

ETMT: A Tool for Eye-Tracking-Based Trail-Making Test to Detect Cognitive Impairment

by Jyotsna Chandrasekharan, Amudha Joseph, Amritanshu Ram and Giandomenico Nollo

Sensors 2023, 23(15), 6848; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23156848 - 01 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1436

Abstract

The growing number of people with cognitive impairment will significantly increase healthcare demand. Screening tools are crucial for detecting cognitive impairment due to a shortage of mental health experts aiming to improve the quality of life for those living with this condition. Eye tracking is a powerful tool that can provide deeper insights into human behavior and inner cognitive processes. The proposed Eye-Tracking-Based Trail-Making Test, ETMT, is a screening tool for monitoring a person’s cognitive function. The proposed system utilizes a fuzzy-inference system as an integral part of its framework to calculate comprehensive scores assessing visual search speed and focused attention. By employing an adaptive neuro-fuzzy-inference system, the tool provides an overall cognitive-impairment score, allowing psychologists to assess and quantify the extent of cognitive decline or impairment in their patients. The ETMT model offers a comprehensive understanding of cognitive abilities and identifies potential deficits in various domains. The results indicate that the ETMT model is a potential tool for evaluating cognitive impairment and can capture significant changes in eye movement behavior associated with cognitive impairment. It provides a convenient and affordable diagnosis, prioritizing healthcare resources for severe conditions while enhancing feedback to practitioners. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors and Technology-Assisted Dual-Task Cognitive Motor Rehabilitation)

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