Simplified digital balance assessment in typically developing school children.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Kinesiology
• Pediatric Medicine

Background:

• Postural balance is crucial for gross motor skills, developing in childhood and adolescence.
• Current assessment methods like analogue scales are imprecise, and force-plate posturography is inaccessible.
• A need exists for accessible, precise clinical tools to monitor pediatric balance and posture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if kinematic data from a single 3D motion camera can assess balance and posture.
• To determine if these assessments are representative of normal motor development in healthy children.
• To introduce a novel, markerless 3D sensor technology for balance assessment.

Main Methods:

• Developed a proprietary algorithm using Microsoft Kinect™ V2 skeletal data to track the center of mass (COM).
• Calculated a balance score (COM speed) based on COM displacement over time during five balance tasks.
• Analyzed data from 432 children aged 4-18 years, correlating balance scores with demographic factors.

Main Results:

• The system reliably detected differences in COM speed across various balance tasks.
• Balance scores showed moderate correlations with age and sex.
• Athletic activity positively influenced balance in children under 8, but not older children.
• Body mass did not correlate with balance ability.

Conclusions:

• Markerless 3D motion analysis offers a viable method for clinical assessment of coordination and balance.
• This technology can potentially monitor gross motor performance at the point-of-care.
• The system provides a precise and accessible alternative for pediatric balance assessment.