Objective qualification of balance control and arm function in stroke subjects using on-body sensing - evaluation of principles in a simulated ambulatory setting

With the aging of the population, the incidence of stroke is increasing in
especially western countries. Depending on the patient*s impairments as a
result of the stroke, a patient-specific rehabilitation program is started when
he/she is discharged from the hospital after the acute phase. During the
subsequent period of intensive training in a rehabilitation centre, the
patient*s motor function is regularly evaluated. When the patient has an
adequate capacity to live at home, the patient is discharged and sent home.
Between this moment and the next routine appointment (several months later),
patients frequently show deterioration of motor function. In some cases, this
deterioration is so severe that re-admission to a rehabilitation centre is
necessary. Remarkably, the cause of the deterioration of motor function is
unknown in many cases, since the patient*s period at home is like a black-box
for the physician. If the physician would be able to monitor the patient*s
motor function at home, he could intervene in case of deterioration and prevent
an expensive re-hospitalisation. For this purpose, we develop body-mounted
sensing systems that can eventually result in daily-life monitoring. In the
current phase, we evaluate monitoring principles in a simulated ambulatory
setting. In this cross sectional study described in this document, a
combination of two ambulatory human movement analysis systems (Instrumented
Force Shoes and an inertial sensing suit) will be used to assess balance and
reaching tasks of stroke patients. The results will be evaluated and related to
regular clinical tests.

The primary objective is to investigate which balance and reaching performance
measures - estimated using body-mounted sensing - correlate with frequently
used clinical assessments of balance and motor function, while measuring stroke
patients in a simulated ambulatory setting. A secondary objective is to
demonstrate the correspondence between temporal and kinematic parameters (for
example: timing, movement distance and number of steps) estimated with the
experimental movement analysis systems and reference measurements.

Cross sectional design, one measurement session in one group of stroke
patients.

There is no risk associated with participating in the measurements. There will
be only one measurement session. This measurement session will take about 120
minutes, of which 60 minutes are preparation time. During all measurements,
subjects can take rest at any moment they like, to prevent fatigue. Two
researchers will accompany the subjects during all measurements. There is no
direct benefit for the patient by joining the measurements