Towards the enhancement of body standing balance recovery by means of a wireless audio-biofeedback system

Abstract

Human maintain their body balance by sensorimotor controls mainly based on information gathered from vision, proprioception and vestibular systems. When there is a lack of information, caused by pathologies, diseases or aging, the subject may fall. In this context, we developed a system to augment information gathering, providing the subject with warning audio-feedback signals related to his/her equilibrium. The system comprises an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a data processing unit, a headphone audio device and a software application. The IMU is a low-weight, small-size wireless instrument that, body-back located between the L2 and L5 lumbar vertebrae, measures the subject's trunk kinematics. The application drives the data processing unit to feeding the headphone with electric signals related to the kinematic measures. Consequently, the user is audio-alerted, via headphone, of his/her own equilibrium, hearing a pleasant sound when in a stable equilibrium, or an increasing bothering sound when in an increasing unstable condition. Tests were conducted on a group of six older subjects (59y-61y, SD = 2.09y) and a group of four young subjects (21y-26y, SD = 2.88y) to underline difference in effectiveness of the system, if any, related to the age of the users. For each subject, standing balance tests were performed in normal or altered conditions, such as, open or closed eyes, and on a solid or foam surface. The system was evaluated in terms of usability, reliability, and effectiveness in improving the subject's balance in all conditions. As a result, the system successfully helped the subjects in reducing the body swaying within 10.65%-65.90%, differences depending on subjects' age and test conditions.

Evidence for the Effectiveness of Feedback from Wearable Inertial Sensors during Work-Related Activities: A Scoping Review

“…A total of 53 studies were excluded in full-text screening as follows: WIST studies without feedback ( n = 14) [ 55 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 ]; feedback without an inertial sensor (s) [ 94 ]; sensors integrated into equipment ( n = 5), e.g., seat sensors and robotic devices rather than those worn by an individual [ 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 ]; standing balance and/or lower body sway ( n = 5) [ 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 ]; abstracts ( n = 7) [ 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 ]; stroke/other neurological rehabilitation studies ( n = 4) [ 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 ]; a non-work setting ( n = 3) [ 116 , 117 , 118 ]; no evaluation of WIST feedback effectiveness ( n = 6) [ 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 ]; research proposal ( n = 1) [ 125 ]; and validity and reliability s...…”

Surgical treatment of otosclerosis leading to changes in postural control and quality of life

“…From a physiological standpoint, it could be speculated that the restoration of efficient sound transmission may partially influence postural function, possibly providing subjects with additional information about the surrounding environment to better control body movements; sound may act as a spatial landmark helping integrating other sensory inputs, thus improving overall balance control. 33,34 In this light, it has been proposed that a sound-induced vestibular activation would evoke a vestibulo-postural reflex, influencing balance; 35,36 indeed, previous works highlighted various effects of sound on posture from increased oscillation on the mediolateral (x) plane 35 to reduced sway in the same axis 37 and beneficial effects on anteroposterior (y) oscillations. 38 In our study population, a reduction in postural sway was found in both x and y planes with eyes open as well as closed (Fig.…”

Generalized Finite-Length Fibonacci Sequences in Healthy and Pathological Human Walking: Comprehensively Assessing Recursivity, Asymmetry, Consistency, Self-Similarity, and Variability of Gaits

“…They are able to detect the time instants for the first and the last contacts. Secondly, we performed the motion capture and the motion analysis through the Movit System G1 (Captiks, Rome, Italy), which provides accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, quaternion, barometer synced data and is composed of 10-DOF wireless wearable small inertial devices and an USB wireless receiver (Costantini et al, 2018 ; Ricci et al, 2019a , b ; Saggio, 2020 ).…”