Temporal Synergies Detection in Gait Cyclograms Using Wearable Technology

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 22; no. 7; p. 2728
• Main Authors: Gavrilović, Marija M, Janković, Milica M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 02-04-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Algorithms; Asymmetry; Biomechanical Phenomena; Central nervous system; Electromyography; Gait; Gait - physiology; gait cycle; ground reaction force; Humans; inertial measurement unit; Inertial platforms; Kinematics; Muscle function; Muscles; Nervous system; Patients; principal component analysis; Principal components analysis; Rehabilitation; Sensors; Stroke; Stroke Rehabilitation; Velocity; Walking; Wearable computers; Wearable Electronic Devices; Wearable technology; Serbia; inertial measurement unit; wearable device; synergy; gait cycle; ground reaction force; gait; stroke; principal component analysis
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s22072728

The human gait can be described as the synergistic activity of all individual components of the sensory-motor system. The central nervous system (CNS) develops synergies to execute endpoint motion by coordinating muscle activity to reflect the global goals of the endpoint trajectory. This paper proposes a new method for assessing temporal dynamic synergies. Principal component analysis (PCA) has been applied on the signals acquired by wearable sensors (inertial measurement units, IMU and ground reaction force sensors, GRF mounted on feet) to detect temporal synergies in the space of two-dimensional PCA cyclograms. The temporal synergy results for different gait speeds in healthy subjects and stroke patients before and after the therapy were compared. The hypothesis of invariant temporal synergies at different gait velocities was statistically confirmed, without the need to record and analyze muscle activity. A significant difference in temporal synergies was noticed in hemiplegic gait compared to healthy gait. Finally, the proposed PCA-based cyclogram method provided the therapy follow-up information about paretic leg gait in stroke patients that was not available by observing conventional parameters, such as temporal and symmetry gait measures.