A New Algorithm for Dynamic Vestibular System Analysis with Wearable Pressure and Motion Sensors

• Published in: Journal of academic research in medicine Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 149 - 156
• Main Authors: Kara, Eyyup, İkizoğlu, Serhat, Şahin, Kaan, Çakar, Tunay, Ataş, Ahmet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Turkish
• Published: Istanbul Galenos Publishing House 01.08.2021
• Subjects: Accuracy; Algorithms; Disease; Gait; Medical diagnosis; Nervous system; Posture; Pressure distribution; Sensors; Walking; Denmark; United States > US
• ISSN: 2146-6505; 2147-1894
• DOI: 10.4274/jarem.galenos.2021.3980

Objective: Balance is a complex state that requires integrating information from many systems into various levels of the nervous system and the actions of commands from the central nervous system and the musculoskeletal system. Postural control is the ability to maintain body position against forces that threaten the individual’s orientation or balance. In our study, a mobile prototype system was used to create equilibrium data of subjects and generate a set of normal values, diseases and fuzzy decisions. Methods: This study included 106 adults (55 females, 51 males) with no vestibular, neurologic, orthopaedic and eye problems to create the normalisation data. Also, 60 patients (37 females, 23 males) with different vestibular pathologies (23 benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, 12 Meniere’s disease, 10 vestibular neuritis, 15 unilateral vestibular hypofunction) comprised the patient group. Results: With the newly developed system, step length and symmetry, distance between feet, gait symmetry, ankle mobility and symmetry and phases of each step and step symmetry were collected. Significant differences were found between the normal and pathological groups in the data obtained from the dynamic balance and pressure sensors on the sole of the foot. Conclusion: Dynamic balance and walking analysis by our system are considered important in audiology, orthopaedics and neurology. It can contribute clinically by collecting data from several patients with different pathologies.