Use of Accelerometers to Monitor Motor Activity During HABIT-ILE for Chronic Stroke: An Exploratory Study

Area of Science:

• Neurorehabilitation
• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Biomechanics

Background:

• Hand and Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy Including Lower Extremities (HABIT-ILE) is an established, high-dosage neurorehabilitation approach.
• Objective documentation of motor activity during HABIT-ILE is crucial for understanding intervention effectiveness.
• Chronic stroke survivors often require tailored neurorehabilitation strategies to improve motor function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a protocol for objectively documenting upper and lower extremity (UE; LE) motor activity during HABIT-ILE using three inertial measurement units (IMUs).
• To correlate IMU-derived motor activity variables with baseline functional abilities in chronic stroke adults.
• To explore day-to-day patterns of motor activity during HABIT-ILE based on baseline dexterity and walking endurance.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen chronic stroke adults who completed 65 hours of HABIT-ILE intervention were enrolled.
• IMUs were placed on both wrists and one thigh to capture daily motor activity and posture.
• Nine IMU-derived variables were extracted and analyzed for correlations with baseline abilities and day-to-day patterns.

Main Results:

• The Magnitude and Use ratios derived from IMUs showed significant correlations with participants' baseline functional abilities.
• Specific day-to-day motor activity patterns were observed in participants with moderate to good baseline dexterity.
• No global trend was detected to universally document the entire HABIT-ILE intervention content via IMUs.

Conclusions:

• Participants reported high engagement with the HABIT-ILE intervention, irrespective of their initial functional status.
• While not capturing the full intervention scope, IMU monitoring shows promise for characterizing the therapeutic content of HABIT-ILE.
• Further research is warranted to refine IMU-based protocols for comprehensive neurorehabilitation documentation.