Agreement between Vital Signs Measured Using Mat-Type Noncontact Sensors and Those from Conventional Clinical Assessment.

Vital signs are crucial for assessing the condition of a patient and detecting early symptom deterioration. Noncontact sensor technology has been developed to take vital measurements with minimal burden. This study evaluated the accuracy of a mat-type noncontact sensor in measuring respiratory and pulse rates in patients with cardiovascular diseases compared to conventional methods. Forty-eight hospitalized patients were included; a mat-type sensor was used to measure their respiratory and pulse rates during bed rest. Differences between mat-type sensors and conventional methods were assessed using the Bland-Altman analysis. The mean difference in respiratory rate was 1.9 breaths/min (limits of agreement (LOA): -4.5 to 8.3 breaths/min), and proportional bias existed with significance (r = 0.63, p < 0.05). For pulse rate, the mean difference was -2.0 beats/min (LOA: -23.0 to 19.0 beats/min) when compared to blood pressure devices and 0.01 beats/min (LOA: -11.4 to 11.4 beats/min) when compared to 24-h Holter electrocardiography. The proportional bias was significant for both comparisons (r = 0.49, p < 0.05; r = 0.52, p < 0.05). These were considered clinically acceptable because there was no tendency to misjudge abnormal values as normal. The mat-type noncontact sensor demonstrated sufficient accuracy to serve as an alternative to conventional assessments, providing long-term monitoring of vital signs in clinical settings.

Age-Related Changes in Accuracy and Speed of Lateral Crossing Motion: Focus on Stepping from Leaning Position.

Fall incidents are increasing every year and prevention is necessary. Preventing falls can increase the quality of life of the elderly and decrease medical costs. Stumbling and tripping are the main causes of falls and falls in the lateral direction, causing the hip fracture. This study aimed to analyze the accuracy and speed of lateral obstacle crossing in the elderly, especially from leaning posture. Twenty healthy older adults (6 men and 14 women, aged 71.7 ± 1.5 years) and 20 healthy young adults (5 men and 15 women, aged 21.4 ± 1.2 years) participated in this study. We set four conditions (normal, fast, leaning, and leaning fast), and participants crossed the obstacle laterally ten times under each condition. The crossing motion was captured using a three-dimensional analysis system. The trajectory of the foot, landed position, step time, center of gravity of the body, and moment of the lower extremity during the swing phase were calculated and compared between older and younger adults. In the leaning condition, the step time and knee moment of the elderly were significantly longer and larger than those of young adults. From the results of the trajectory of the foot and landed position in the leaning condition, motion inconsistency of the foot was found in the elderly. We believe that it is difficult for the elderly to perform the intended crossing motion and swing quickly because of aging. This inconsistency in motion is a serious cause of falls in the elderly.

Different Effects of 12-Week Speed or Accuracy Training on Obstacle-Crossing Foot Motion in Healthy Elderly.

Preventing falls is important in the elderly. One reason for falling is tripping or stumbling; hence, it is important to improve the crossing motion. This study aimed to compare speed- and accuracy-oriented crossing training and establish a useful training method. To investigate the effects of crossing motion training, we conducted a randomized controlled trial. Twenty healthy elderly individuals (aged 71.7 ± 1.5 years) were randomly assigned to two groups: speed training and accuracy training groups. They practiced initiating their crossing motion faster or more accurately for 12 weeks. Using a three-dimensional motion analysis system, the data on the crossing motion was captured before and after the training period. We set four conditions (normal speed, fast, leaning stance, and leaning stance and fast) and two directions (anterior and lateral) to analyze the crossing motion. The crossing motion of the speed training group became significantly faster compared to baseline (p < 0.05); however, the accuracy of the crossing motion of the accuracy training group was not statistically significant. Speed training in this study had clear effects on crossing motion. It is surprising that crossing motion training from a normal upright stance can also improve swing speed from the leaning stance. We believe that this training is easy and useful in the elderly population.