Background

Concussion may result in acutely impaired dynamic balance control that can persist up to two months post injury. Such impairment has been detected using sophisticated whole body center of mass kinematic metrics derived from camera-based motion analysis under a dual-task paradigm. However, wearable sensor kinematics for describing gait imbalance is lacking.

Methods

This study employed a longitudinal design. Gait balance control of acutely concussed and healthy matched control participants was assessed at five post-injury time points (within 72 h of injury, at one week, two weeks, one month, and two months). Tri-axial accelerations and angular velocities were collected with a dual-task gait protocol using an inertial measurement unit placed over the fifth lumbar vertebra.

Findings

Eight consistent gait event specific peak accelerations and six peak angular velocities measured by the inertial measurement unit were examined. Peak yaw and roll angular velocities at heel strike and peak roll angular velocities during early single-support, distinguished healthy from concussed participants across the two month post-injury period, while peak vertical acceleration at the end of terminal stance peak medial-lateral acceleration to the right during loading response showed promise.

Interpretation

Utilization of peak accelerations and angular velocities collected from a single inertial measurement unit placed over the fifth lumbar vertebra in a divided attention paradigm may offer a clinically feasible method for detecting subtle changes in gait balance control in concussed individuals.

中文翻译：

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使用基于IMU的运动学标记物来监测急性脑震荡患者的双任务步态平衡控制恢复。

背景

脑震荡可能会导致动态平衡控制严重受损，并可能持续至受伤后两个月。在双任务范式下，使用基于摄像机的运动分析得出的复杂的全身重心运动学指标已检测到此类损伤。然而，缺乏用于描述步态不平衡的可穿戴传感器运动学。

方法

这项研究采用了纵向设计。在五个受伤后的时间点（受伤72小时内，在一周，两周，一个月和两个月内）评估了急性脑震荡和健康匹配对照组参与者的步态平衡控制。使用放置在第五个腰椎上的惯性测量单元，通过双任务步态协议收集三轴加速度和角速度。

发现

检查了由惯性测量单元测得的八个一致的步态事件特定的峰值加速度和六个峰值角速度。足跟着地时的偏航和侧倾角速度峰值以及早期单支撑过程中的侧倾角速度峰值，在损伤后的两个月内均与脑震荡的参与者区分开来，而在站姿结束时的垂直垂直加速度峰值为内侧至外侧峰值加速度。加载响应期间的正确显示了希望。

解释

利用在分散注意力模式中从放置在第五个腰椎上的单个惯性测量单元收集的峰值加速度和角速度，可以为检测脑震荡个体步态平衡控制中的细微变化提供一种临床上可行的方法。