A Wearable System to Monitor Tai Chi Practice

描述（由申请人提供）：多组分心身干预研究中固有的一个独特挑战是客观量化依从性、熟练程度和功能剂量的测量。由于练习熟练程度的变化可以显著改变对一段时间训练的生理反应，简单的课堂出勤或练习时间记录不太可能捕捉到客观评估身心干预的有效性、安全性和潜在机制所需的剂量成分。HRO企业公司与哈佛医学院的生物运动和身心研究人员合作，提交了第一阶段的SBIR申请，将利用可穿戴技术的进步来开发一个系统，使身心研究人员能够收集依从性、熟练程度和剂量的客观测量。我们的方法将建立在已经成功的SHIMMER（智能，模块化，移动性和实验可重用性传感健康）系统的基础上，这是一个商业平台，专为可穿戴非侵入式健康传感应用而设计。我们将首先关注与坚持、熟练程度和剂量有关的生物运动方面，我们将使用无线运动学传感器（即加速度计、陀螺仪和力传感器）来捕捉与太极拳表现相关的不同运动模式，这将提供一种评估坚持和熟练程度的方法。我们的应用包括三个具体目标：(1)将SHIMMER平台集成到适合监测练习/训练课程的可穿戴无线系统的设计中；(2)证明惯性传感器（即加速度计和陀螺仪）可以捕捉与太极运动表现相关的运动生物力学方面；(3)从可穿戴传感器数据中获得的特征可以捕捉太极运动表现的坚持和熟练程度，并与太极专家小组提供的熟练程度定量评估相关联。这些举措将为这个项目的第二阶段奠定基础，在这个阶段，我们计划：1)全面开发一个可穿戴无线系统，准备商业化，用于评估太极和相关身心练习的坚持和熟练程度；2)开发和评估反馈模式，以指导身心练习者和教练制定最佳训练策略。3)在临床试验中对该系统进行前瞻性评估，以评估熟练程度和剂量的变化以及它们与临床结果的关系。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A unique challenge inherent in the study of multi-component mind-body interventions is objectively quantifying measures of adherence, proficiency, and functional dosage. Because variability in proficiency of practice can significantly alter physiological responses to a period of training, simple measures of class attendance or logged practice time are unlikely to capture components of dosage needed to objectively evaluate efficacy, safety, and underlying mechanisms of mind-body interventions. This Phase I SBIR application submitted by HRO Enterprises Inc, in collaboration with biomotion and mind- body researchers from Harvard Medical School, will leverage advances in wearable technology to develop a system that allows mind-body researchers to gather objective measures of adherence, proficiency and dosage. Our approach will build upon the already successful SHIMMER (Sensing Health with Intelligence, Modularity, Mobility, and Experimental Reusability) system, a commercially available platform designed explicitly for wearable non-invasive health sensing applications. Initially focusing on biomotion related aspects of adherence, proficiency and dosage, we will use wireless kinematic sensors (i.e. accelerometers and gyroscopes and force sensors) to capture distinct patterns of movement that are associated with the performance of Tai Chi and that would provide a means to assess adherence to, and proficiency of practice. Our application includes three Specific Aims: (1) To integrate the SHIMMER platform into the design of a wearable, wireless system suitable to monitor practice/training sessions; (2) To demonstrate that inertial sensors (i.e. accelerometers and gyroscopes) can capture aspects of movement biomechanics associated with the performance of Tai Chi exercise; and (3) To show that features derived from wearable sensor data can capture adherence and proficiency in the performance of Tai Chi exercise, and correlate with quantitative assessments of proficiency provided by a panel of Tai Chi experts. These initiatives will lay the groundwork for Phase II of this project in which we plan to 1) fully develop a wearable wireless system ready to be commercialized for the assessment of adherence and proficiency of performance of Tai Chi and related mind-body exercises, 2) develop and assess feedback modalities to guide mind-body practitioners and instructors in optimal training strategies, and 3) prospectively evaluate the system in clinical trials to assess changes in proficiency and dose and how they correlate with clinical outcome. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Mind-body exercises such as Tai Chi, Yoga, and Qigong show substantial promise for the prevention and rehabilitation of many medical conditions, and are among the fastest growing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies in the United States. We propose development of technology that uses wireless wearable sensors to measure adherence, proficiency, and dosage in mind-body interventions in the context of clinical trials. The device will also provide feedback to improve the training quality of practitioners, and to guide instructors in developing optimal training strategies.