Construct Validity of a Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in Measuring Postural Sway and the Effect of Visual Deprivation in Healthy Older Adults
Construct Validity of a Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in Measuring Postural Sway and the Effect of Visual Deprivation in Healthy Older Adults
(2024)
Construct Validity of a Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in Measuring Postural Sway and the Effect of Visual Deprivation in Healthy Older Adults
Year:
2024
Type of item:
Articolo in Rivista
Tipologia ANVUR:
Articolo su rivista
Language:
Inglese
Format:
Elettronico
Referee:
Sì
Name of journal:
BIOSENSORS
ISSN of journal:
2079-6374
N° Volume:
14
Number or Folder:
11
Page numbers:
1-9
Keyword:
aging; balance; inertial sensors; postural control; risk of falls
Short description of contents:
Inertial Motor sensors (IMUs) are valid instruments for measuring postural sway but their ability to detect changes derived from visual deprivation in healthy older adults requires further investigations. We examined the validity and relationship of IMU sensor-derived postural sway measures compared to force plates for different eye conditions in healthy older adults (32 females, 33 males). We compared the relationship of the center of mass and center of pressure (CoM and CoP)-derived total length, root means square (RMS) distance, mean velocity, and 95% confidence interval ellipse area (95% CI ellipse area). In addition, we examined the relationship of the IMU sensor in discriminating between open- (EO) and closed-eye (EC) conditions compared to the force plate. A significant effect of the instruments and eye conditions was found for almost all the variables. Overall, EO and EC variables within (force plate r, from 0.38 to 0.78; IMU sensor r, from 0.36 to 0.69) as well as between (r from 0.50 to 0.88) instruments were moderately to strongly correlated. The EC:EO ratios of RMS distance and 95% CI ellipse area were not different between instruments, while there were significant differences between total length (p = 0.973) and mean velocity (p = 0.703). The ratios' correlation coefficients between instruments ranged from moderate (r = 0.65) to strong (r = 0.87). The IMU sensor offers an affordable, valid alternative to a force plate for objective, postural sway assessment.
Ferrari, Luca; Bochicchio, Gianluca; Bottari, Alberto; Scarton, Alessandra; Lucertini, Francesco; Pogliaghi, Silvia,
Construct Validity of a Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in Measuring Postural Sway and the Effect of Visual Deprivation in Healthy Older Adults«BIOSENSORS»
, vol. 14
, n. 11
, 2024
, pp. 1-9