Wristband Accelerometers to motiVate arm Exercise after Stroke (WAVES): study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

Requirements for home-based upper extremity rehabilitation using wearable motion sensors for stroke patients: a user-centred approach

PURPOSE

Telerehabilitation systems have the potential to enable therapists to monitor and assist stroke patients in achieving high-intensity upper extremity exercise in the home environment. We adopted an iterative user-centred approach, including multiple data sources and meetings with end-users and stakeholders to define the user requirements for home-based upper extremity rehabilitation using wearable motion sensors for subacute stroke patients.

METHODS

We performed a requirement analysis consisting of the following steps: 1) context & groundwork; 2) eliciting requirements; 3) modelling & analysis; 4) agreeing requirements. During these steps, a pragmatic literature search, interviews and focus groups with stroke patients, physiotherapists and occupational therapists were performed. The results were systematically analysed and prioritised into "must-haves", "should-haves", and "could-haves".

RESULTS

We formulated 33 functional requirements: eighteen must-have requirements related to blended care (2), exercise principles (7), exercise delivery (3), exercise evaluation (4), and usability (2); ten should-haves; and five could-haves. Six movement components, including twelve exercises and five combination exercises, are required. For each exercise, appropriate exercise measures were defined.

CONCLUSION

This study provides an overview of functional requirements, required exercises, and required exercise measures for home-based upper extremity rehabilitation using wearable motion sensors for stroke patients, which can be used to develop home-based upper extremity rehabilitation interventions. Moreover, the comprehensive and systematic requirement analysis used in this study can be applied by other researchers and developers when extracting requirements for designing a system or intervention in a medical context.

Haptic Nudging Using a Wearable Device to Promote Upper Limb Activity during Stroke Rehabilitation: Exploring Diurnal Variation, Repetition, and Duration of Effect

Haptic nudging via wearable devices promotes physical activity and may increase upper limb movement in stroke rehabilitation. This study investigated the optimal approach to haptic nudging by examining diurnal variation, duration of effect, and repeated nudging. The study analysed data from a multiple-period randomised crossover study. A 12 h inpatient rehabilitation day was divided into 72 intervals in which participants with stroke (n = 20) randomly received either a 'nudge' or 'no nudge'. Upper limb movement was observed, classified, and analysed using longitudinal mixed models. The odds of affected upper limb movement following a nudge compared with no nudge were significantly higher during active periods such as breakfast, lunch, and morning and afternoon activities (odds ratios (ORs) 2.01-4.63, 95% CIs [1.27-2.67, 3.17-8.01]), but not dinner (OR 1.36, 95% CI [0.86, 2.16]). The effect of nudging was no longer statistically significant at 50-60 s post-nudge. Consecutive delays in nudging significantly decreased the odds of moving when a nudge was eventually delivered. Contrary to expectations, people with stroke appear more responsive to haptic nudging during active periods rather than periods of inactivity. By understanding the optimal timing and frequency of haptic nudging, the design of wearable devices can be optimised to maximise their therapeutic benefits.

Pragmatic Comparative Effectiveness Trials and Learning Health Systems in Pain Medicine: Opportunities and Challenges

Large randomized clinical trials or aggregates of clinical trials represent the highest levels of clinical evidence because they minimize different sources of confounding and bias. The current review provides an in-depth discussion of the challenges faced and methods we can use to overcome these obstacles to tailor novel designs of pragmatic effectiveness trials to pain medicine. The authors describe their experiences with an open-source learning health system to collect high-quality evidence and conduct pragmatic clinical trials within a busy academic pain center.

Whole-Body Movements Increase Arm Use Outcomes of Wrist-Worn Accelerometers in Stroke Patients

Wrist-worn accelerometers are often applied to measure arm use after stroke. They measure arm movements during all activities, including whole-body movements, such as walking. Whole-body movements may influence clinimetric properties of arm use measurements—however, this has not yet been examined. This study investigates to what extent arm use measurements with wrist-worn accelerometers are affected by whole-body movements. Assuming that arm movements during whole-body movements are non-functional, we quantify the effect of whole-body movements by comparing two methods: Arm use measured with wrist-worn accelerometers during all whole-body postures and movements (P&M method), and during sitting/standing only (sit/stand method). We have performed a longitudinal observational cohort study with measurements in 33 stroke patients during weeks 3, 12, and 26 poststroke. The P&M method shows higher daily paretic arm use outcomes than the sit/stand method (p < 0.001), the mean difference increased from 31% at week three to 41% at week 26 (p < 0.001). Differences in daily paretic arm use between methods are strongly related to daily walking time (r = 0.83–0.92). Changes in the difference between methods are strongly related to changes in daily walking time (r = 0.89). We show that not correcting arm use measurements for whole-body movements substantially increases arm use outcomes, thereby threatening the validity of arm use outcomes and measured arm use changes.

Detection of Tennis Activities with Wearable Sensors

This paper aims to design and implement a system capable of distinguishing between different activities carried out during a tennis match. The goal is to achieve the correct classification of a set of tennis strokes. The system must exhibit robustness to the variability of the height, age or sex of any subject that performs the actions. A new database is developed to meet this objective. The system is based on two sensor nodes using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless technology to communicate with a PC that acts as a central device to collect the information received by the sensors. The data provided by these sensors are processed to calculate their spectrograms. Through the application of innovative deep learning techniques with semi-supervised training, it is possible to carry out the extraction of characteristics and the classification of activities. Preliminary results obtained with a data set of eight players, four women and four men have shown that our approach is able to address the problem of the diversity of human constitutions, weight and sex of different players, providing accuracy greater than 96.5% to recognize the tennis strokes of a new player never seen before by the system.

The problem with self-management: Problematising self-management and power using a Foucauldian lens in the context of stroke care and rehabilitation

Self-management is a concept which is now firmly established in Western healthcare policy and practice. However, the term remains somewhat ambiguous, multi-faceted and contentious. This is evident in stroke care and rehabilitation, in which a self-management approach is increasingly adopted and advocated, yet interpreted in different ways, resulting in contradictions and tensions around control, responsibility, power and discipline. This paper aims to further our understanding of tensions and contradictions in stroke self-management, by critically examining contemporary self-management practices. We use a Foucauldian theoretical lens to explore the various power dynamics in the operationalisation of self-management, in addition to the complexity of the term self-management itself. Conducting a secondary analysis of interview and focus group data from the Self-Management VOICED study, supplemented with analysis of relevant documentary evidence from policy and practice, we describe the multiple aspects of power in operation. These include rhetorical, hierarchical, personal and mutual forms of power, representing interweaving dynamics evident in the data. These aspects of power demonstrate underlying agendas and tacit and explicit understandings of self-management which exist in clinical practice. These aspects of power also give insight into the multiple identities of ‘self-management’, acting as a simultaneous repressor and liberator, directly in keeping with Foucauldian thinking. The findings are also consistent with Foucault’s notions of bodily docility, discussions around governance and biopower, and contemporary discipline. Our analysis positions self-management as a highly nuanced and complex concept, which can fluctuate in its conceptualisation depending on the structures, routines, and the individual. We encourage healthcare professionals, policymakers and commissioners in the field of self-management to reflect on these complexities, to make transparent their assumptions and to explicitly position their own practice accordingly.

Wristband Accelerometers to motiVate arm Exercises after Stroke (WAVES): a pilot randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the feasibility of a multicentre, observer-blind, pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a wristband accelerometer with activity-dependent vibration alerts to prompt impaired arm use after stroke.

DESIGN

Parallel-group pilot RCT.

SETTING

Four English stroke services.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients 0-3 months post stroke with a new arm deficit.

INTERVENTION

Participants were randomized to wear a prompting or 'sham' wristband during a four-week self-directed therapy programme with twice-weekly therapy review.

MAIN OUTCOMES

Recruitment, retention and adherence rates, safety and completion of assessments were reported. Arm recovery was measured by Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and Motor Activity Log (MAL) without statistical comparison.

RESULTS

In total, 33 patients were recruited (0.6 per month/site; median time post stroke: 26 days (interquartile range (IQR):15.5-45)). Baseline, four-week and eight-week median (IQR) ARAT for the control group (n = 19) were 15 (2-35), 35 (15-26) and 31 (21-55) and those for the intervention group (n = 14) were 37 (16-45), 57 (29-57) and 57 (37-57), respectively; for MAL Amount of Use, the corresponding values in the control group were 0.2 (0.0-1.2), 1.1 (0.3-2.9) and 1.2 (0.7-2.9) and in the intervention group were 1.4 (0.5-2.6), 3.8 (1.9-4.5) and 3.7 (2.1-4.3). Four participants withdrew from the study. Wristbands were worn for 79% of the recommended time. The intervention and control group participants received a median of 6.0 (IQR: 4.3-8.0) and 7.5 (IQR: 6.8-8.0) therapy reviews. A median of 8 (IQR: 6-10) prompts were delivered per intervention participant/day. Research assessments were completed for 28/29 and 25/28 patients at four and eight weeks. Eight serious adverse events were reported, all unrelated to the intervention.

CONCLUSION

A multicentre RCT of wristband accelerometers to prompt arm activity early after stroke is feasible. A total sample of 108 participants would be required.

A systematic review of measures of adherence to physical exercise recommendations in people with stroke

OBJECTIVE:

To review methods for measuring adherence to exercise or physical activity practice recommendations in the stroke population and evaluate measurement properties of identified tools.

DATA SOURCES:

Two systematic searches were conducted in eight databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews, Sports Discus, PEDro, PubMed and EMBASE). Phase 1 was conducted to identify measures. Phase 2 was conducted to identify studies investigating properties of these measures.

REVIEW METHODS:

Phase 1 articles were selected if they were published in English, included participants with stroke, quantified adherence to exercise or physical activity recommendations, were patient or clinician reported, were defined and reproducible measures and included patients >18 years old. In phase 2, articles were included if they explored psychometric properties of the identified tools. Included articles were screened based on title/abstract and full-text review by two independent reviewers.

RESULTS:

In phase 1, seven methods of adherence measurement were identified, including logbooks ( n = 16), diaries ( n = 18), 'record of practice' ( n = 3), journals ( n = 1), surveys ( n = 2) and questionnaires ( n = 4). One measurement tool was identified, the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities ( n = 4). In phase 2, no eligible studies were identified.

CONCLUSION:

There is not a consistent measure of adherence that is currently utilized. Diaries and logbooks are the most frequently utilized tools.

Effectiveness of external cues to facilitate task performance in people with neurological disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: To examine in people with neurological disorders, which method/s of providing external cues to improve task performance are most effective. Methods: Medline, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were systematically searched. Two reviewers independently screened, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Results: Twenty six studies were included. Studies examined a wide-range of cues including visual, tactile, auditory, verbal, and multi-component cues. Cueing (any type) improved walking speed when comparing cues to no cues (mean difference (95% confidence interval): 0.08 m/s (0.06-0.10), I² = 68%, low quality of evidence). Remaining evidence was analysed narratively; evidence that cueing improves activity-related outcomes was inconsistent and rated as very low quality. It was not possible to determine which form of cueing may be more effective than others. Conclusion: Providing cues to encourage successful task performance is a core component of rehabilitation, however there is limited evidence on the type of cueing or which tasks benefit most from external cueing. Low-quality evidence suggests there may be a beneficial effect of cueing (any type) on walking speed. Sufficiently powered randomised controlled trials are needed to inform therapists of the most effective cueing strategies to improve activity performance in populations with a neurological disorder. Implications for rehabilitation Providing cues is a core component of rehabilitation and may improve successful task performance and activities in people with neurological conditions including stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis, but evidence is limited for most neurological conditions with much research focusing on stroke and Parkinson's disease. Therapists should consider using a range of different types of cues depending on the aims of treatment and the neurological condition. There is currently insufficient evidence to suggest one form of cueing is superior to other forms. Therapists should appreciate that responding optimally to cues may take many sessions to have an effect on activities such as walking. Further studies should be conducted over a longer timeframe to examine the effects of different types of cues towards task performance and activities in people with neurological conditions.