Clinical Effect Analysis of Wearable Sensor Technology-Based Gait Function Analysis in Post-Transcranial Magnetic...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Stroke frequently causes hemiplegia, impacting gait and independence.
• Objective gait analysis is crucial for evaluating rehabilitation effectiveness.
• Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (LF-rTMS) is a potential therapeutic intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of LF-rTMS in improving gait and motor function in post-stroke hemiplegic patients.
• To utilize wearable sensor technology for objective gait parameter measurement.
• To compare LF-rTMS effects against sham stimulation and standard care.

Main Methods:

• 72 stroke patients were randomized into control, sham, and LF-rTMS groups.
• LF-rTMS was applied to the unaffected hemisphere for 6 weeks.
• Fugl-Meyer Assessment Lower Extremity (FMA-LE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and wearable sensor-based gait parameters were measured pre- and post-treatment.

Main Results:

• The LF-rTMS group demonstrated significant improvements in FMA-LE, BBS, and MBI scores compared to control and sham groups (p < 0.05).
• Objective gait analysis revealed significant enhancements in gait cycle time, stride length, and walking speed in the LF-rTMS group (p < 0.001).
• Improvements in the control and sham groups were less pronounced, with no adverse events reported in the LF-rTMS group.

Conclusions:

• LF-rTMS applied to the unaffected hemisphere is effective in enhancing lower-limb function, balance, and activities of daily living in subacute stroke patients.
• Wearable sensor technology provides valuable, objective data for gait analysis in stroke rehabilitation.
• LF-rTMS represents a promising non-invasive neuromodulation technique for stroke recovery.