Preliminary Validity of a Wireless Lighting System (WLS) for Cognitive-Motor Response Assessment, and Its...

BackgroundAs interest in dual-task rehabilitation for stroke patients, which integrates cognitive and motor functions, continues to grow, there is increasing recognition of the need to expand cognitive assessments to include motor components.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the preliminary evidence for the validity of the Wireless Lighting System (WLS) as a sensor-based cognitive-motor response assessment tool in stroke patients and to investigate its relationship with motor function and activities of daily living (ADL).MethodsSixty-four patients with stroke were recruited from 'G' rehabilitation hospital. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K). Motor function and ADL were assessed using a digital handheld dynamometer, the Berg balance scale, the 10-meter walk test, and the Korean version of the modified Barthel Index, respectively. Cognitive-motor response times were measured using a WLS (Witty SEM).ResultsAll WLS cognitive-motor response times were moderately negatively correlated with the MMSE-K total score (r = -0.431 to -0.469). Grip strength was only negatively related to the reaction time task (r = -0.363). However, moderate correlations with all WLS tasks were observed for balance (r = -0.512 to -0.602), gait (r = 0.399 to 0.513), and ADL (r = -0.563 to -0.650).ConclusionThese findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the potential utility of the WLS as a sensor-based cognitive-motor response assessment tool in identifying combined cognitive and motor impairments. However, given this study's cross-sectional design and single-center setting, further longitudinal and validation studies are required to establish clinical applicability.