Upper Extremity Function Assessment Using a Glove Orthosis and Virtual Reality System.
Richard J Adams, Allison L Ellington, Kate Armstead and 3 others
PMID 30885076WHAT IT FOUND
A sensor-equipped glove tracking hand movements during virtual tasks correlates strongly with the Wolf Motor Function Test in stroke survivors.
This suggests the software can validly monitor upper limb motor status during therapy without requiring separate clinical assessments.
Key findings
01The primary software-derived measure (VR-SCT) showed a high, significant correlation with the gold-standard Wolf Motor Function Test time score, indicating valid tracking of upper extremity motor status.
02Adding finger and wrist sensors to the existing arm-tracking system significantly improved the correlation with clinical measures compared to previous arm-only tracking.
03A software metric for movement smoothness (VR-NS) did not correlate well with standard clinical assessments, suggesting its clinical value is not yet established.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (15 participants), limiting the precision of the estimates. Participants had only mild to moderate impairment and excluded those with apraxia, severe spasticity, or neglect, so results do not apply to more severely affected patients. The study was conducted in a single outpatient clinic setting. One author is a salaried employee of the company that owns the intellectual property for the device used.
Declared interests
Richard Adams is a salaried employee of Barron Associates, Inc., the owner of the intellectual property for the SaeboGlove and SaeboVR system used in the study. Allison L. Ellington was paid by Barron Associates as a consultant. The research was funded by a National Institutes of Health grant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the software measures movement quality or smoothness accurately. The study found that the smoothness metric (VR-NS) had low or negligible correlation with clinical assessments, so it should not be used to judge movement quality at this time.