Application of Smart Watch-Based Functional Evaluation for Upper Extremity Impairment: A Preliminary Study on Older...

Smartwatch-based functional assessments for upper extremity movement are a promising tool for a detailed and serial assessment during stroke rehabilitation, but their clinical application remains challenging. In this study, nine patients with hemiparesis due to a stroke participated in occupational therapy sessions using virtual reality-based rehabilitation devices. An Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) was performed at baseline and after intervention, with wrist smartwatch sensors recording motion data. We extracted acceleration and gyro sensor data from smartwatches and calculated the average motion segment size (MSS) as a measure of motion smoothness. Among the included patients, four participants completed all 10 therapy sessions and the follow-up evaluation. The average MSSs of acceleration for all x, y, and z directions were significantly correlated with the ARAT scores across all task domains. For angular motion, the average MSS in the gross movement task (domain 4) showed strong correlations with the ARAT scores: roll (r_s = 0.735, p = 0.004), pitch (r_s = 0.715, p = 0.009), and yaw (r_s = 0.704, p = 0.007). At the serial follow-ups, most participants showed a considerable increase in the average MSSs of the roll, pitch, and yaw angles measured during domain 4, alongside improvements in their clinical ARAT scores. Our findings support the feasibility of using commercial smartwatch-based parameters for upper extremity functional evaluations during stroke rehabilitation and highlight their potential for serial follow-up assessments.