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- Bäcklund, Tomas, et al.
(författare)
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Novel, clinically applicable method to measure step-width during the swing phase of gait
- 2020
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Ingår i: Physiological Measurement. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0967-3334 .- 1361-6579. ; 41:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Step-width during walking is an indicator of stability and balance in patients with neurological disorders, and development of objective tools to measure this clinically would be a great advantage. The aim of this study was to validate an in-house-developed gait analysis system (Striton), based on optical and inertial sensors and a novel method for stride detection, for measuring step-width during the swing phase of gait and temporal parameters.Approach: The step-width and stride-time measurements were validated in an experimental setup, against a 3D motion capture system and on an instrumented walkway. Further, test-retest and day-to-day variability were evaluated, and gait parameters were collected from 87 elderly persons (EP) and four individuals with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) before/after surgery.Main results: Accuracy of the step-width measurement was high: in the experimental setup mean error was 0.08 +/- 0.25 cm (R = 1.00) and against the 3D motion capture system 0.04 +/- 1.12 cm (R = 0.98). Test-retest and day-to-day measurements were equal within +/- 0.5 cm. Mean difference in stride time was -0.003 +/- 0.008 s between Striton and the instrumented walkway. The Striton system was successfully applied in the clinical setting on individuals with iNPH, which had larger step-width (6.88 cm, n = 4) compared to EP (5.22 cm, n = 87).Significance: We conclude that Striton is a valid, reliable and wearable system for quantitative assessment of step-width and temporal parameters during gait. Initial measurements indicate that the newly defined step-width parameter differs between EP and patients with iNPH and before/after surgery. Thus, there is potential for clinical applicability in patients with reduced gait stability.
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- Bäcklund, Tomas, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
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Single sensor measurement of heel-height during the push-off phase of gait
- 2021
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Ingår i: Physiological Measurement. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0967-3334 .- 1361-6579. ; 42:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: In healthy gait a forceful push-off is needed to get an efficient leg swing and propulsion, and a high heel lift makes a forceful push-off possible. The power of the push-off is decreased with increased age and in persons with impaired balance and gait. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a wearable equipment (Striton) and algorithms to estimate vertical heel-height during gait from a single optical distance sensor is reliable and feasible for clinical applications.Approach: To assess heel-height with the Striton system an optical distance sensor was used to measure the distance to the floor along the shank. An algorithm was created to transform this measure to a vertical distance. The heel-height was validated in an experimental setup, against a 3D motion capture system (MCS), and test-retest and day-to-day tests were performed on 10 elderly persons. As a reference material 83 elderly persons were included, and heel-height was measured before and after surgery in four patients with the neurological disorder idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH).Main results: In the experimental setup the accuracy was high with a maximum error of 2% at all distances, target colours and inclination angles, and the correlation to the MCS was R = 0.94. Test-retest and day-to-day tests were equal within ±1.2 cm. Mean heel-height of the elderly persons was 16.5 ± 0.6 cm and in the patients with iNPH heel-height was increased from 11.2 cm at baseline to 15.3 cm after surgery.Significance: Striton can reliably measure heel-height during gait, with low test-retest and day-to-day variability. The system was easy to attach, and simple to use, which makes it suitable for clinical applications.
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- Bäcklund, Tomas, et al.
(författare)
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Trunk sway in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus : quantitative assessment in clinical practice
- 2017
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Ingår i: Gait & Posture. - : Elsevier. - 0966-6362 .- 1879-2219. ; , s. 62-70
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: In diagnosis and treatment of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), there is need for clinically applicable, quantitative assessment of balance and gait. Using a body worn gyroscopic system, the aim of this study was to assess postural stability of iNPH patients in standing, walking and during sensory deprivation before and after cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage and surgery. A comparison was performed between healthy elderly (HE) and patients with various types of hydrocephalus (ventriculomegaly (VM)).Methods: Trunk sway was measured in 31 iNPH patients, 22 VM patients and 58 HE. Measurements were performed at baseline in all subjects, after CSF drainage in both patient groups and after shunt surgery in the iNPH group.Results: Preoperatively, the iNPH patients had significantly higher trunk sway compared to HE, specifically for the standing tasks (p < 0.001). Compared to VM, iNPH patients had significantly lower sway velocity during gait in three of four cases on firm support (p < 0.05). Sway velocity improved after CSF drainage and in forward-backward direction after surgery (p < 0.01). Compared to HE both patient groups demonstrated less reliance on visual input to maintain stable posture.Conclusions: INPH patients had reduced postural stability compared to HE, particularly during standing, and for differentiation between iNPH and VM patients sway velocity during gait is a promising parameter. A reversible reduction of visual incorporation during standing was also seen. Thus, the gyroscopic system quantitatively assessed postural deficits in iNPH, making it a potentially useful tool for aiding in future diagnoses, choices of treatment and clinical follow-up.
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| 6. |
- Bäcklund, Tomas, 1958-
(författare)
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Wearable systems and sensors for the assessment of motor control : Development and validation of methods for clinical assessment of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Human gait and balance are controlled by automatic processes in the central nervous system, and in sensory and proprioceptive systems. If a disturbance occurs in any of these complex structures, it may lead to balance and gait problems. Equally important are the systems controlling the upper extremity functions where reach, grasp and manipulation skills may be affected. For the neurodegenerative disease idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), balance and gait disturbances are cardinal symptoms. Motor control of the upper extremities is also affected. In clinic today, physical impairment of persons with iNPH is commonly visually assessed using subjective, course tests with ordinal scales with the risk of missing minor changes. There is a lack of objective and quantitative ways to measure motor control in daily patient care. The aim of this thesis was to develop and validate tools for objective assessment of parameters that affect motor control in persons with iNPH.Postural stability in stance and walking was assessed using gyroscopes in patients with iNPH, healthy elderly (HE) and patients with ventriculomegaly (VM). Compared to HE, patients with iNPH had reduced postural stability and relied less on vision. iNPH patients also had a lower trunk sway velocity than VM during walking. The gyroscopic system could quantitatively assess postural deficits in iNPH, making it a potentially useful tool for diagnosis and for clinical follow-up. The differences found during gait also suggests that walking, rather than quiet stance, should be further investigated for facilitating differential diagnosis compared to other patient groups with ventriculomegaly.The gait in patients with iNPH is according to guidelines defined as slow, shuffling with a low foot-lift, and wide based. To objectively quantify the latter two features, a system (Striton) was developed in-house to assess the increased distance between the feet and the peak heel-height at the push-off phase of the gait cycle. It was validated in experimental setups, compared to gold standard motion capture systems (MCS), on healthy elderly (HE), through test-retest and day-to-day evaluations, and in four patients with iNPH. Striton demonstrated high correlations, in step-width and in heel-height, compared with the MCS. The mean step-width in the HE was 5.2 ± 0.9 cm (mean±Standard Deviation) and the heel-height 16.7±0.6 cm. Test-retest and day-to-day variations were small, ±0.5 cm in step-width and ±1.2 cm in heel-height, and differences in the parameters were seen between HE and iNPH both before and after surgery. Thus, Striton has the potential of quantitatively assessing gait parameters in HE and iNPH in a valuable manner.
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| 7. |
- Eklund, Anders, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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A resonator sensor for measurement of intraocular pressure : evaluation in an in vitro pig-eye model
- 2000
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Ingår i: Physiological Measurement. - : IOP Publishing. - 0967-3334 .- 1361-6579. ; 21:3, s. 355-367
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement is performed routinely at every eye clinic. High IOP, which can be a sign of glaucoma, can lead to degeneration of the retina and can cause blindness. In this study we developed a resonator sensor for IOP measurement based on an oscillator consisting of a piezoelectric element made of lead zirconate titanate, a flat contact piece of nylon and a feedback circuit. The aim of this study was to evaluate the new sensor's ability to determine lOP in an in vitro pig-eye model. Six eyes from four pigs were removed and fixed in agar. They were then pressurized by a saline column (10-35 cm H2O) through a cannula inserted into the vitreous chamber. The IOP was measured with the resonator sensor applied to cornea. An Alcon applanation pneumatonometer and a standard Viggo-Spectramed pressure sensor connected to the saline column were used as references. The IOP as measured with the resonator sensor correlated well with the pressure elicited by the saline column for individual eyes (r = 0.96-0.99, n = 60) and for all eyes (r = 0.92, n = 360). The correlation between the resonance sensor and the pneumatonometer was r = 0.92 (n = 360). The pneumatonometer also showed a good correlation with the saline column (r = 0.98, n = 360). We conclude that our in vitro pig-eye model made it possible to induce reproducible variation in IOP, and measurement of that pressure with the newly developed resonator sensor gave very promising results for development of a clinically applicable IOP tonometer with unique properties.
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| 10. |
- Eklund, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of applanation resonator sensors for intra-ocular pressure measurement : results from clinical and in vitro studies.
- 2003
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Ingår i: Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing. - 0140-0118 .- 1741-0444. ; 41:2, s. 190-197
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Glaucoma is an eye disease that, in its most common form, is characterised by high intra-ocular pressure (IOP), reduced visual field and optic nerve damage. For diagnostic purposes and for follow-up after treatment, it is important to have simple and reliable methods for measuring IOP. Recently, an applanation resonator sensor (ARS) for measuring IOP was introduced and evaluated using an in vitro pig-eye model. In the present study, the first clinical evaluation of the same probe has been carried out, with experiments in vivo on human eyes. There was a low but significant correlation between IOP(ARS) and the IOP measured with a Goldmann applanation tonometer (r = 0.40, p = 0.001, n = 72). However, off-centre positioning of the sensor against the cornea caused a non-negligible source of error. The sensor probe was redesigned to have a spherical, instead of flat, contact surface against the eye and was evaluated in the in vitro model. The new probe showed reduced sensitivity to off-centre positioning, with a decrease in relative deviation from 89% to 11% (1 mm radius). For normalised data, linear regression between IOP(ARS) and direct IOP measurement in the vitreous chamber showed a correlation of r = 0.97 (p < 0.001, n = 108) and a standard deviation for the residuals of SD < or = 2.18 mm Hg (n = 108). It was concluded that a spherical contact surface should be preferred and that further development towards a clinical instrument should focus on probe design and signal analysis.
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