Head Trajectory Diagrams for Gait Symmetry Analysis Using a Single Head-Worn IMU

Gait symmetry analysis plays an important role in the diagnosis and rehabilitation of pathological gait. Recently, wearable devices have also been developed for simple gait analysis solutions. However, measurement in clinical settings can differ from gait in daily life, and simple wearable devices are restricted to a few parameters, providing one-sided trajectories of one arm or leg. Therefore, head-worn devices with sensors (e.g., earbuds) should be considered to analyze gait symmetry because the head sways towards the left and right side depending on steps. This paper proposed new visualization methods using head-worn sensors, able to facilitate gait symmetry analysis outside as well as inside. Data were collected with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) based motion capture system when twelve participants walked on the 400-m running track. From head trajectories on the transverse and frontal plane, three types of diagrams were displayed, and five concepts of parameters were measured for gait symmetry analysis. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of step counting was lower than 0.65%, representing the reliability of measured parameters. The methods enable also left-right step recognition (MAPE ≤ 2.13%). This study can support maintenance and relearning of a balanced healthy gait in various areas with simple and easy-to-use devices

Effect of rhythmic auditory cueing on gait in cerebral palsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Auditory entrainment can influence gait performance in movement disorders. The entrainment can incite neurophysiological and musculoskeletal changes to enhance motor execution. However, a consensus as to its effects based on gait in people with cerebral palsy is still warranted. A systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out to analyze the effects of rhythmic auditory cueing on spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters of gait in people with cerebral palsy. Systematic identification of published literature was performed adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine guidelines, from inception until July 2017, on online databases: Web of Science, PEDro, EBSCO, Medline, Cochrane, Embase and ProQuest. Kinematic and spatiotemporal gait parameters were evaluated in a meta-analysis across studies. Of 547 records, nine studies involving 227 participants (108 children/119 adults) met our inclusion criteria. The qualitative review suggested beneficial effects of rhythmic auditory cueing on gait performance among all included studies. The meta-analysis revealed beneficial effects of rhythmic auditory cueing on gait dynamic index (Hedge’s g=0.9), gait velocity (1.1), cadence (0.3), and stride length (0.5). This review for the first time suggests a converging evidence toward application of rhythmic auditory cueing to enhance gait performance and stability in people with cerebral palsy. This article details underlying neurophysiological mechanisms and use of cueing as an efficient home-based intervention. It bridges gaps in the literature, and suggests translational approaches on how rhythmic auditory cueing can be incorporated in rehabilitation approaches to enhance gait performance in people with cerebral palsy

“Low road” to rehabilitation: A perspective on subliminal sensory neuroprosthetics

Fear can propagate parallelly through both cortical and subcortical pathways. It can instigate memory consolidation habitually and might allow internal simulation of movements independent of the cortical structures. This perspective suggests delivery of subliminal, aversive and kinematic audiovisual stimuli via neuroprosthetics in patients with neocortical dysfunctions. We suggest possible scenarios by which these stimuli might bypass damaged neocortical structures and possibly assisting in motor relearning. Anticipated neurophysiological mechanisms and methodological scenarios have been discussed in this perspective. This approach introduces novel perspectives into neuropsychology as to how subcortical pathways might be used to induce motor relearning. © 2018 Ghai et al

Effects of dual tasks and dual-task training on postural stability: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The use of dual-task training paradigm to enhance postural stability in patients with balance impairments is an emerging area of interest. The differential effects of dual tasks and dual-task training on postural stability still remain unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to analyze the effects of dual task and training application on static and dynamic postural stability among various population groups. Systematic identification of published literature was performed adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, from inception until June 2016, on the online databases Scopus, PEDro, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and SportDiscus. Experimental studies analyzing the effects of dual task and dual-task training on postural stability were extracted, critically appraised using PEDro scale, and then summarized according to modified PEDro level of evidence. Of 1,284 records, 42 studies involving 1,480 participants met the review's inclusion criteria. Of the studies evaluating the effects of dual-task training on postural stability, 87.5% of the studies reported significant enhancements, whereas 30% of the studies evaluating acute effects of dual tasks on posture reported significant enhancements, 50% reported significant decrements, and 20% reported no effects. Meta-analysis of the pooled studies revealed moderate but significant enhancements of dual-task training in elderly participants (95% CI: 1.16-2.10) and in patients suffering from chronic stroke (-0.22 to 0.86). The adverse effects of complexity of dual tasks on postural stability were also revealed among patients with multiple sclerosis (-0.74 to 0.05). The review also discusses the significance of verbalization in a dual-task setting for increasing cognitive-motor interference. Clinical implications are discussed with respect to practical applications in rehabilitation settings

Interpersonal sensorimotor contingencies: Information-theoretic relevance of subjective experience

Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Real-time Sonification in Swimming: from pressure changes of displaced water to sound

Cesarini D, Hermann T, Ungerechts B. Real-time Sonification in Swimming: from pressure changes of displaced water to sound. Presented at the Multisensory Motor Behavior: Impact of Sound, Hannover, Germany

Real-Time Gait Analysis Using a Single Head-Worn Inertial Measurement Unit

The background of this paper is to apply advanced real-time gait analysis to walking interventions in daily life setting. A vast of wearable devices provide gait information but not more than pedometer functions such as step counting, displacement, and velocity. This paper suggests a real-time gait analysis method based on a head-worn inertial measurement unit. A novel analysis method implements real-time detection of gait events (heel strike, toe off, and mid-stance phase) and immediately provides detailed spatiotemporal parameters. The reliability of this method was proven by a measurement with over 11 000 steps from seven participants on a 400-m outdoor track. The advanced gait analysis was conducted without any limitation of a fixed reference frame (e.g., indoor stage and infrared cameras). The mean absolute error in step-counting was 0.24%. Compared to a pedometer, additional gait parameters were obtained such as foot-ground contact time (CT) and CT ratio. The gait monitoring system can be used as real-time and long-term feedback, which is applicable in the management of the health status and on injury prevention. © 2018 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.European Commission/H2020-FETPROACT-2014/641321/E

If motion sounds: Movement sonification based on inertial sensor data

Within last years, movement sonification turned out to be an appropriate support for motor perception and motor control that can display physical motion in a very rich and direct way. But how should movement sonification be configured to support motor learning? The appropriate selection of movement parameters and their transformation into characteristic motion features is essential for an auditory display to become effective. In this paper, we introduce a real-time sonification framework for all common MIDI environments based on acceleration and orientation data from inertial sensors. Fundamental processing steps to transform motion information into meaningful sound will be discussed. The proposed framework of inertial motion capturing, kinematic parameter selection and possible kinematic acoustic mapping provides a basis for mobile real-time movement sonification which is a prospective powerful training tool for rehabilitation and sports and offers a broad variety of application possibilities.EU/EFRE/W2-8011866

Loudness affects motion: asymmetric volume of auditory feedback results in asymmetric gait in healthy young adults

Background: The potential of auditory feedback for motor learning in the rehabilitation of various diseases has become apparent in recent years. However, since the volume of auditory feedback has played a minor role so far and its influence has hardly been considered, we investigate the volume effect of auditory feedback on gait pattern and gait direction and its interaction with pitch. Methods: Thirty-two healthy young participants were randomly divided into two groups: Group 1 (n = 16) received a high pitch (150-250 Hz) auditory feedback; group 2 (n = 16) received a lower pitch (95-112 Hz) auditory feedback. The feedback consisted of a real-time sonification of the right and left foot ground contact. After an initial condition (no auditory feedback and full vision), both groups realized a 30-minute habituation period followed by a 30-minute asymmetry period. At any condition, the participants were asked to walk blindfolded and with auditory feedback towards a target at 15 m distance and were stopped 5 m before the target. Three different volume conditions were applied in random order during the habituation period: loud, normal, and quiet. In the subsequent asymmetry period, the three volume conditions baseline, right quiet and left quiet were applied in random order. Results: In the habituation phase, the step width from the loud to the quiet condition showed a significant interaction of volume*pitch with a decrease at high pitch (group 1) and an increase at lower pitch (group 2) (group 1: loud 1.02 ± 0.310, quiet 0.98 ± 0.301; group 2: loud 0.95 ± 0.229, quiet 1.11 ± 0.298). In the asymmetry period, a significantly increased ground contact time on the side with reduced volume could be found (right quiet: left foot 0.988 ± 0.033, right foot 1.003 ± 0.040, left quiet: left foot 1.004 ± 0.036, right foot 1.002 ± 0.033). Conclusions: Our results suggest that modifying the volume of auditory feedback can be an effective way to improve gait symmetry. This could facilitate gait therapy and rehabilitation of hemiparetic and arthroplasty patients, in particular if gait improvement based on verbal corrections and conscious motor control is limited. © 2022, The Author(s)

Sound joined actions in rowing and swimming

The present chapter introduces the method of sonification as a tool for studying intercorporeality and enactment. We show that auditory movement information can support motor perception as well as the control of movements, and explain these effects by mechanisms which are consistent with the enactment approach. Providing additional auditory information about a movement enables the acting individual as well as observers to perceive the movement in exactly the same way via audition. Thus, a sonification can establish a common percept for all interaction partners, which corresponds well to the concept of intercorporeality. Furthermore, we show that sonifications can be specifically designed to constitute a variety of frameworks for the analysis of interpersonal coordination and intercorporeality