Sensor Positioning Influences the Accuracy of Knee Rom Data of an E-Rehabilitation System: A Preliminary Study with Healthy Subjects

E-rehabilitation is the term used to define medical rehabilitation programs that are implemented at home with the use of information and communication technologies. The aim was to test whether sensor position and the sitting position of the patient influence the accuracy of knee range of movement (ROM) data displayed by the BPMpathway e-rehabilitation system. A preliminary study was conducted in a laboratory setting with healthy adults. Knee ROM data was measured with the BPMpathway e-rehabilitation system and simultaneously with a BIOPAC twin-axis digital goniometer. The main outcome was the root mean squared error (RMSE). A 20% increase or reduction in sitting height led to a RMSE increase. A ventral shift of the BPMpathway sensor by 45° and 90° caused significant measurement errors. A vertical shift was associated with a diminution of the measurement errors. The lowest RMSE (2.4°) was achieved when the sensor was placed below the knee. The knee ROM data measured by the BPMpathway system is comparable to the data of the concurrent system, provided the instructions of the manufacturer are respected concerning the sitting position of the subject for knee exercises, and disregarding the same instructions for sensor positioning, by placing the sensor directly below the knee.

Kognitive Hirnleistungen des präfrontalen Kortex

Basic neuroscientific research has greatly contributed to a deeper understanding of the cognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Injuries of the PFC typically give rise to severe cognitive disorders that usually are subsumed under the broad rubric of executive dysfunctions (EDF). The umbrella term of EDF denotes a high-level disorder in the control of thought and action. The existence of EDF is of critical importance for the prognosis of disabilities in daily living, vocational rehabilitation, and social integration. Neuropsychological assessment instruments and intervention programs are discussed.

[Crossed aphasia or dysexecutive syndrome? A case report]

The case of a female dextral patient (MN) is reported. MN sustained a partial frontotemporal infarction in the right hemisphere. Clinically, MN presented herself mainly with aphasic symptoms. The dextrality of the patient and the laterality of the lesion as well as the nature of language deficits would legitimate the diagnosis of a crossed aphasia, implying paradoxical lateralization of language in MN. However, comprehensive neuropsychological assessment revealed the presence of a global dysexecutive syndrome in MN, suggesting a general cognitive impairment, part of which must be the aphasic symptoms. General issues regarding the relationship between language and cognition and the lateralization of cognitive functions are discussed.