Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026
13:32
Recording Human Electrocorticographic ECoG Signals for Neuroscientific Research and Real-time Functional Cortical Mapping
Published on: June 26, 2012
26.8K
Objective assessment of WHO/ECOG performance status
Miha Sok1,2, Miha Zavrl3, Boris Greif3
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia. miha.sok@mf.uni-lj.si.
Summary
A new objective performance meter accurately assesses patient performance, unlike subjective methods. This tool could improve healthcare decisions by providing a more reliable measure of patient status.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Medical Devices
- Clinical Assessment
Background:
- Performance status is crucial for quality of life, treatment selection, and prognosis in patients.
- Current performance status scoring systems rely on subjective assessments.
- Objective assessment of performance status, particularly for ECOG/WHO grades 2 and 3, is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and test a novel objective method for assessing patient performance status.
- To evaluate the reliability of a new performance meter compared to subjective assessments.
Main Methods:
- A performance meter was constructed using an adapted USB data logger with a mercury tilt switch.
- A feasibility study was conducted on 33 retirement home residents.
- Objective assessments were compared with self-estimates and nursing staff evaluations.
Main Results:
- The performance meter identified 12% of residents as PS ≥ 3.
- Subjective assessments by patients and nursing staff identified 24% and 21% respectively as ECOG score ≥ 3.
- Objective measurement revealed a better performance score in 12% of patients compared to subjective methods.
Conclusions:
- Subjective performance status scoring often underestimates patient performance.
- The developed performance meter offers a more objective and potentially more accurate assessment.
- This objective tool could aid healthcare professionals in making informed care decisions.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Velocity of an Object
199
Understanding how an object moves along a path requires distinguishing between motion over a time span and motion at a precise moment. A useful example is a vehicle traveling along a straight and level path, where its position at any given time is known. The initial step in analyzing this motion is to measure how far the vehicle travels over a fixed time period. This measurement, called average velocity, is computed by dividing the total change in position by the duration over which the change...
199
01:26Marcia's Theory of Identity Status
1.6K
James Marcia's identity status model provides a framework for understanding how adolescents navigate identity formation through varying degrees of exploration and commitment. Marcia's model builds on Erik Erikson's theories of psychosocial development, focusing specifically on how adolescents reconcile individual aspirations with societal expectations. His model describes identity formation as a dynamic process where adolescents move between different states depending on their level...
1.6K
01:29Potential Due to a Polarized Object
775
A neutral atom consists of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a negatively charged electron cloud. When placed in an external electric field, the external electric force pulls the electrons and nucleus apart, opposite to the intrinsic attraction between the nucleus and the electrons. The opposing forces balance each other with a slight shift between the center of masses of the nucleus and the electron cloud, resulting in a polarized atom. On the other hand, a few molecules, like water,...
775
01:24Potential Due to a Magnetized Object
793
Magnetic dipoles in magnetic materials are aligned when placed under an external magnetic field. For paramagnets and ferromagnets, dipole alignment occurs in the direction of the magnetic field. However, the dipoles align opposite to the field in the case of diamagnets. This state of magnetic polarization due to the external field is called magnetization. Magnetization is defined as the dipole moment per unit volume. It plays a similar role to polarization in electrostatics.
The vector...
The vector...
793
01:07Moment of Inertia of Compound Objects
7.6K
The moment of inertia is a quantitative measure of the rotational inertia of an object. It is defined as the sum of the products obtained by multiplying the mass of each particle of matter in a given body by the square of its distance from the axis. The total moment of inertia for compound objects can be found by determining and adding the moment of inertia of individual components together.
Consider a child of mass (mc) 25 kg standing at a distance (rc) of 1 m from the axis of a rotating...
Consider a child of mass (mc) 25 kg standing at a distance (rc) of 1 m from the axis of a rotating...
7.6K
01:07Gravitational Potential Energy for Extended Objects
2.0K
Consider a system comprising several point masses. The coordinates of the center of mass for this system can be expressed as the summation of the product of each mass and its position vector divided by the total mass:
2.0K