Inflammation-related gait- Analysis of biological motion using the Microsoft® Kinect® during experimentally-induced sickness

• Biological motion is a powerful communication cue and we have recently shown that sickness can be detected from gait pattern. However, it is unclear which gait characteristics are modulated by health status and whether change in gait pattern relates to inflammation and to the degree of sickness. The current study aimed at answering these questions by assessing biological motion characteristics in 19 individuals during experimentally-induced sickness, obtained by intravenous injection of lipopolysaccharide (2 ng/kg bw), and after placebo administration. Joint 3-D coordinates were recorded using the Microsoft® Kinect® during a walking paradigm and a mobility test (time-up-and-go test). Results indicate that gait during experimentally-induced sickness is characterized by slower and shorter strides, resulting in slower walking speed, as well as a slower time to stand up from a chair. In addition, sick subjects appear to swing their arms and to lift their legs less than when healthy, as reflected by smaller elbow angle during arm extension and larger knee angle during leg flexion compared to the placebo condition. Alterations in the overall gait pattern during experimentally-induced sickness was associated with interleukin-6 peak concentrations and a trend was observed with sickness symptoms. Altogether, these findings suggest that gait pattern might signal sickness/inflammatory status and could be used as an objective assessment of sickness, as well as to determine evolution of health status in individuals over time.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

biological motion

sickness detection

gait pattern

experimentally-induced sickness

Microsoft® Kinect®

psykologi

Psychology

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)