Evaluating wearable multimodal sensor insoles for motion-pattern measurements in stroke rehabilitation - A pilot study.

The majority of stroke patients experience deficits in motoric functions, especially in gait and mobility. They need rehabilitation to regain walking independence, which is a major goal of rehabilitation after stroke. To document and assess the rehabilitation progress, instrumented motion analysis and clinical assessments are commonly used. In a clinical pilot study the applicability of an instrumented insole system in stroke rehabilitation is evaluated. Motion parameter of 35 stroke patients were gathered with the system while completing 90 s level walking and Timed Up & Go test at the beginning and end of four weeks inpatient rehabilitation. For level walking the motion parameter were gathered with the clinical reference system simultaneously. The mean stride time for level walking decreased from 1.20 s to 1.16 s (clinical system), or from 1.19 s to 1.12 s (insole system), respectively. Focusing on individual comparison of each patient's progress, 9 gait parameters are extracted for level walking, 6 sub-phases of Timed Up & Go test are detected and analyzed, as well as progress of Center of Pressure in the sub-phases is examined. Although the overall data show wide distribution, the system proofed to be applicable in clinical stroke rehabilitation routine. As the system is location-independent, and has the advantage of assessing additional parameters of the Timed Up & Go test, it is additionally suitable for integration in a tele-or home rehabilitation system.

A Framework for (Tele-) Monitoring of the Rehabilitation Progress in Stroke Patients: eHealth 2015 Special Issue.

BACKGROUND: Preservation of mobility in conjunction with an independent life style is one of the major goals of rehabilitation after stroke. OBJECTIVES: The Rehab@Home framework shall support the continuation of rehabilitation at home. METHODS: The framework consists of instrumented insoles, connected wirelessly to a 3G ready tablet PC, a server, and a web-interface for medical experts. The rehabilitation progress is estimated via automated analysis of movement data from standardized assessment tests which are designed according to the needs of stroke patients and executed via the tablet PC application. RESULTS: The Rehab@Home framework's implementation is finished and ready for the field trial (at five patients' homes). Initial testing of the automated evaluation of the standardized mobility tests shows reproducible results. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore it is assumed that the Rehab@Home framework is applicable as monitoring tool for the gait rehabilitation progress in stroke patients.