Assessment of daily-life reaching performance after stroke

For an optimal guidance of the rehabilitation therapy of stroke patients in an in-home setting, objective, and patient-specific performance assessment of arm movements is needed. In this study, metrics of hand movement relative to the pelvis and the sternum were estimated in 13 stroke subjects using a full body ambulatory movement analysis system, including 17 inertial sensors integrated in a body-worn suit. Results were compared with the level of arm impairment evaluated with the upper extremity part of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale (uFMA). Metrics of arm movement performance of the affected side, including size of work area, maximum reaching distance and movement range in vertical direction, were evaluated during a simulated daily-life task. These metrics appeared to strongly correlate with uFMA scores. Using this body-worn sensor system, metrics of the performance of arm movements can easily be measured and evaluated while the subject is ambulating in a simulated daily-life setting. Suggested metrics can be used to objectively assess the performance of the arm movements over a longer period in a daily-life setting. Further development of the body-worn sensing system is needed before it can be unobtrusively used in a daily-life setting.