Actigraphy: Analyzing patient movement

• Published in: Heart & lung Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. e52 - e59
• Main Authors: Grap, Mary Jo, RN, PhD, ACNP, FAAN, Hamilton, Virginia A., RN, MS, FNP, McNallen, Ann, RN, MS, Ketchum, Jessica M., PhD, Best, Al M., PhD, Isti Arief, Nyimas Y., MS, Wetzel, Paul A., PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Mosby, Inc 01.05.2011; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Actigraphy - nursing; Actigraphy - statistics & numerical data; Adult; Behavior; Cardiovascular; Critical Care; Critical Care - statistics & numerical data; Female; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Monitoring systems; Movement; Nursing Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Patient Simulation; Psychomotor Agitation - diagnosis; Psychomotor Agitation - nursing; Pulmonary/Respiratory; Reproducibility of Results; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Simulation
• ISSN: 0147-9563; 1527-3288
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2009.12.013

Background Actigraphic data during simulated participant movements were evaluated to differentiate among patient behavior states. Methods Arm and leg actigraphic data were collected on 30 volunteers who simulated 3 behavioral states (calm, restless, agitated) for 10 minutes; counts of observed participant movements (head, torso, extremities) were documented. Results The mean age of participants was 34.7 years, and 60% were female. Average movement was significantly different among the states ( P < .0001; calm [mean = .48], restless [mean = 2.16], agitated [mean = 3.75]). Mean actigraphic measures were significantly different among states for both arm ( P < .0001; calm [mean = 6.8], restless [mean = 28.5], agitated [mean = 52.6]) and leg ( P < .0001; calm [mean = 3.5], restless [mean = 18.7], agitated [mean = 37.7]). Conclusion Distinct levels of behavioral states were successfully simulated. Actigraphic data can provide an objective indicator of patient activity over a variety of behavioral states, and these data may offer a standard for comparison among these states.