Name: isokinetic robotic device to improve test-retest and inter-rater reliability for stretch reflex measurements in stroke patients with spasticity
Uploaded: 2019-06-12T14:45:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isokinetic Robotic Device to Improve Test-Retest and Inter-Rater Reliability for Stretch Reflex Measurements in Stroke Patients with Spasticity at JoVE.com

This study was supported by the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Research Fund (14- 2014 - 035) and Korea and National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant funded by the Korean Government (A100249).&#160;We would like to thank&#160; Seo Hyun Park and Hae-in Kim for helping to prepare and proceed with shooting video.

1. Experimental set-up
<ol>
	<li>Patient recruitment 
	NOTE: All procedures were reviewed and approved by the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Institutional Review Board. These subjects were inpatients or outpatients with stroke diagnoses from four rehabilitation hospitals in the region.
	<ol>
		<li>Perform the screening process using the following inclusion criteria: (1) upper extremity hemiparesis due to stroke; (2) over the age of 20 years; (3) mild elbow joint spasticity of MAS 1-2; ...

<ol>
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This study attempted to standardize the MTS measurement using a robotic isokinetic device. It was investigated how the consistency of assessment motion affects the results of MTS measurement.
The NAMI value was proposed to represent the degree of variability in assessment motion. As expected, unlike the isokinetic motion method with no variability, the manual method showed variability between tests and between raters, resulting in poor reliability, which is consistent with results from previou...

Spasticity after stroke is common and has been shown to induce complications, including pain and contractures, resulting in reduced quality of life1,2,3. Measurement of spasticity is important to properly plan the course of treatment and determine the efficacy of treatment. Commonly used tools in the clinical setting are the Modified Ashworth scale (MAS)4, which is a nominal measurement system for resistance to passive movement, and the modified Tardieu scale (MTS), which measures the angle of catch (AoC), representing the velocity-dependent characteristic of spasticity5. However, these measurement tools have been shown to have limited inter-rater reliability6,7, requiring the same rater to perform these tests to maintain satisfactory reliability8.
Three factors have been shown induce variability in AoC during MTS measurement, including (1) errors from angle measurements by a goniometry; (2) variability of manually moved joint motion profile between raters; and (3) variability in sensing the catch between raters9. A novel isokinetic robotic device with torque sensors is presented in this protocol. This device is applied to stroke patients with mild elbow flexor spasticity using surface electromyography (EMG) measurements10. It was hypothesized that the standardization of elbow joint motion will improve inter-rater reliability for AoC measurements elicited by the elbow flexor stretch reflex. To prove this, the reliability for AoC as measured by surface EMG was calculated and compared between the isokinetic passive and manual fast elbow extension, using this developed robotic device and EMG. Figure 1 shows an overview of the entire experimental procedure. In detail, the MTS measurement stage was conducted by two raters, and the order of experiments (manual vs. isokinetic motion) and order of raters were randomly determined, which required about 50 min for each subject (Figure 1).

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>3D printer</td>
			<td>Lokit</td>
			<td>3Dison+</td>
			<td>FDA type 3D printer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ball sprine shaft</td>
			<td>Misumi</td>
			<td>LBF15</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bridge Analog Input module</td>
			<td>National Instruments</td>
			<td>NI 9237</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CAN communication module</td>
			<td>National Instruments</td>
			<td>NI 9853</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Caster</td>
			<td>Misumi</td>
			<td>AC-50F</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electromyography (EMG) device</td>
			<td>Laxtha</td>
			<td>WEMG-8</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EMG electrode</td>
			<td>Bioprotech</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>1.8x1.2 mm Ag&#8211;AgCl</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Encoder</td>
			<td>Maxon</td>
			<td>HEDL 9140</td>
			<td>500 CPT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gearbox</td>
			<td>Maxon</td>
			<td>GP 81</td>
			<td>51:1 ratio</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Lab jack</td>
			<td>Misumi</td>
			<td>99-1620-20</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Linear slider</td>
			<td>Misumi</td>
			<td>KSRLC16</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Motor</td>
			<td>Maxon</td>
			<td>EC-60</td>
			<td>brushless EC motor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Motor driver</td>
			<td>Elmo</td>
			<td>DC Whistle</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PLA</td>
			<td>Lokit</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>3D printer material</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Real-time processor</td>
			<td>National Instruments</td>
			<td>sbRIO-9632</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Torque sensor</td>
			<td>Transducer Techniques</td>
			<td>TRS-1K</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

isokinetic robotic device to improve test-retest and inter-rater reliability for stretch reflex measurements in stroke patients with spasticity

Measuring spasticity is important in treatment planning and determining efficacy after treatment. However, the current tool used in clinical settings has been shown to be limited in inter-rater reliability. One factor in this poor inter-rater reliability is the variability of passive motion while measuring the angle of catch (AoC) measurements. Therefore, an isokinetic device has been proposed to standardize the manual joint motion; however, the benefits of isokinetic motion for AoC measurements has not been tested in a standardized manner. This protocol investigates whether isokinetic motion itself can improve inter-rater reliability for AoC measurements. For this purpose, a robotic isokinetic device was developed that is combined with surface electromyography (EMG). Two conditions, manual and isokinetic motions, are compared with the standardized method to measure the angle and subjective feeling of catch. It is shown that in 17 stroke patients with mild elbow flexor spasticity, isokinetic motion improved the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for inter-rater reliability of AoC measurements to 0.890 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.685&#8211;0.961] by the EMG criteria, and 0.931 (95% CI: 0.791&#8211;0.978) by the torque criteria, from 0.788 (95% CI: 0.493&#8211;0.920) by manual motion. In conclusion, isokinetic motion itself can improve inter-rater reliability of AoC measurements in stroke patients with mild spasticity. Given that this system may provide greater standardized angle measurements and catch of feeling, it may be a good option for the evaluation of spasticity in a clinical setting.

The reliability is divided into four grades according to the ICC value: extremely excellent (&#62;0.90), excellent (0.75 &#60; ICC &#8804; 0.90), fair to good (0.40 &#60; ICC &#8804; 0.75), and poor (&#60;0.40). The standard error of measurements (SEM) was calculated to determine the error component of the variance. The smallest detectable difference (SDD) was calculated from the SEM of test-retest data.
Normalized assessment motion index (NAMI): the NAMI score during an isokinetic motion was ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isokinetic Robotic Device to Improve Test-Retest and Inter-Rater Reliability for Stretch Reflex Measurements in Stroke Patients with Spasticity at JoVE.com

Isokinetic Robotic Device to Improve Test-Retest and Inter-Rater Reliability for Stretch Reflex Measurements in Stroke Patients with Spasticity

Using a robotic isokinetic device with electromyography (EMG) measurements, this protocol illustrates that isokinetic motion itself can improve inter-rater reliability for the angle of catch measurements in stroke patients with mild elbow flexor spasticity.

Measuring spasticity is important in treatment planning and determining efficacy after treatment. However, the current tool used in clinical settings has ...

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