A Movement Monitor Based on Magneto-Inertial Sensors for Non-Ambulant Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Pilot Study in Controlled Environment

Anne-Gaelle Le Moing (1, 2) , Andreea Mihaela Seferian (3) , Amelie Moraux (3) , Melanie Annoussamy (3) , Eric Dorveaux (4) , Erwan Gasnier (5) , Jean-Yves Hogrel (6) , Thomas Voit (6) , David Vissiere (7) , Laurent Servais (8)

1 CHU Amiens-Picardie
2 GRAMFC - Groupe de Recherche sur l'Analyse Multimodale de la Fonction Cérébrale - UMR INSERM_S 1105
3 Institute of Myology Paris France
4 ENGIE
5 Thérapie des maladies du muscle strié
6 Institut de Myologie
7 SYSNAV
8 Service of Clinical Trials and Databases

Measurement of muscle strength and activity of upper limbs of non-ambulant patients with neuromuscular diseases is a major challenge. ActiMyo (R) is an innovative device that uses magneto-inertial sensors to record angular velocities and linear accelerations that can be used over long periods of time in the home environment. The device was designed to insure long-term stability and good signal to noise ratio, even for very weak movements. In order to determine relevant and pertinent clinical variables with potential for use as outcome measures in clinical trials or to guide therapy decisions, we performed a pilot study in non-ambulant neuromuscular patients. We report here data from seven Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) patients (mean age 18.5 +/- 5.5 years) collected in a clinical setting. Patients were assessed while wearing the device during performance of validated tasks (MoviPlate, Box and Block test and Minnesota test) and tasks mimicking daily living. The ActiMyo (R) sensors were placed on the wrists during all the tests. Software designed for use with the device computed several variables to qualify and quantify muscular activity in the non-ambulant subjects. Four variables representative of upper limb activity were studied: the rotation rate, the ratio of the vertical component in the overall acceleration, the hand elevation rate, and an estimate of the power of the upper limb. The correlations between clinical data and physical activity and the ActiMyo (R) movement parameters were analyzed. The mean of the rotation rate and mean of the elevation rate appeared promising since these variables had the best reliability scores and correlations with task scores. Parameters could be computed even in a patient with a Brooke functional score of 6. The variables chosen are good candidates as potential outcome measures in non-ambulant patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and use of the ActiMyo (R) is currently being explored in home environment.

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Anne-Gaelle Le Moing, Andreea Mihaela Seferian, Amelie Moraux, Melanie Annoussamy, Eric Dorveaux, et al.. A Movement Monitor Based on Magneto-Inertial Sensors for Non-Ambulant Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Pilot Study in Controlled Environment. PLoS ONE, 2016, 11 (6), ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0156696⟩. ⟨hal-03604458⟩