A low-cost real time virtual system for postural stability assessment at home.
Comput Methods Programs Biomed
; 117(2): 322-33, 2014 Nov.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25070756
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The degeneration of the balance control system in the elderly and in many pathologies requires measuring the equilibrium conditions very often. In clinical practice, equilibrium control is commonly evaluated by using a force platform (stabilometric platform) in a clinical environment. In this paper, we demonstrate how a simple movement analysis system, based on a 3D video camera and a 3D real time model reconstruction of the human body, can be used to collect information usually recorded by a physical stabilometric platform. METHODS: The algorithm used to reconstruct the human body model as a set of spheres is described and discussed. Moreover, experimental measurements and comparisons with data collected by a physical stabilometric platform are also reported. The measurements were collected on a set of 6 healthy subjects to whom a change in equilibrium condition was stimulated by performing an equilibrium task. RESULTS: The experimental results showed that more than 95% of data collected by the proposed method were not significantly different from those collected by the classic platform, thus confirming the usefulness of the proposed system. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed virtual balance assessment system can be implemented at low cost (about 500$) and, for this reason, can be considered a home use medical device. On the contrary, astabilometric platform has a cost of about 10,000$ and requires periodical calibration. The proposed system does not require periodical calibration, as is necessary for stabilometric force platforms, and it is easy to use. In future, the proposed system with little integration can be used, besides being an emulator of a stabilometric platform, also to recognize and track, in real time, head, legs, arms and trunk, that is to collect information actually obtained by sophisticated optoelectronic systems.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Autocuidado
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Grabación en Video
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Interfaz Usuario-Computador
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Equilibrio Postural
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Imagen de Cuerpo Entero
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Actigrafía
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
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Evaluation_studies
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Health_economic_evaluation
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Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Comput Methods Programs Biomed
Asunto de la revista:
INFORMATICA MEDICA
Año:
2014
Tipo del documento:
Article
Pais de publicación:
Irlanda