Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Dec 29;14(1):130.
doi: 10.1186/s12984-017-0341-z.

Comprehensive measurement of stroke gait characteristics with a single accelerometer in the laboratory and community: a feasibility, validity and reliability study

Sarah A Moore  1   2 , Aodhan Hickey  3 , Sue Lord  3   4 , Silvia Del Din  3 , Alan Godfrey  3   5 , Lynn Rochester  3
Affiliations

Comprehensive measurement of stroke gait characteristics with a single accelerometer in the laboratory and community: a feasibility, validity and reliability study

Sarah A Moore et al. J Neuroeng Rehabil. .

Abstract

Background: Application of objective measurement of stroke gait with accelerometer-based wearable technology and associated algorithms is increasing, despite reports questioning the accuracy of this technique in quantifying specific stroke-related gait impairments. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility, validity and reliability of a low-cost open-source system incorporating algorithms and a single tri-axial accelerometer-based wearable to quantify gait characteristics in the laboratory and community post-stroke.

Methods: Twenty-five participants with stroke wore the wearable (AX3, Axivity) on the lower back during a laboratory 2 minute continuous walk (preferred pace) on two occasions a week apart and continuously in the community for two consecutive 7 day periods. Video, instrumented walkway (GaitRite) and an OPAL accelerometer-based wearable were used as laboratory references.

Results: Feasibility of the proposed system was good. The system was valid for measuring step count (ICC 0.899). Inherent differences in gait quantification between algorithm and GaitRite resulted in difficulties comparing agreement between the different systems. Agreement was moderate-excellent (ICC 0.503-0.936) for mean and variability gait characteristics vs. OPAL. Agreement was moderate-poor between the system and OPAL for asymmetry characteristics. Moderate-excellent reliability (ICC 0.534-0.857) was demonstrated for 11/14 laboratory measured gait characteristics. Community test-retest reliability was good-excellent (ICC 0.867-0.983) for all except one (ICC 0.699) of the 19 gait characteristics.

Conclusion: The proposed system is a low-cost, reliable tool for quantifying gait post-stroke with multiple potential applications. Further refinement to optimise gait quantification algorithms for certain gait characteristics including gait asymmetry is required.

Keywords: Accelerometer; Gait; Physical activity; Reliability; Stroke; Validity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The Greater Manchester West Research and Ethics Committee approved the study (NRES Committee Northwest-Greater Manchester West 15/NW/0731). All subjects gave informed written consent for the study according to the Declaration of Helsinki.

Consent for publication

Not applicable

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Clinic protocol and positioning of AX3 wearable
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Fulk GD, Reynolds C, Mondal S, Deutsch JE. Predicting home and community walking activity in people with stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2010;91:1582–1586. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2010.07.005. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Moore SA, Hallsworth K, Ploetz T, Ford GA, Rochester L, Trenell MI. Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and metabolic control following stroke: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. PLoS One. 2013;8:1–6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hackam DG, Spence D. Combining multiple approaches for the secondary prevention of vascular events after stroke. A quantitative modeling study. Stroke. 2007;38:1881–1885. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.106.475525. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Del Din S, Godfrey A, Mazzà C, Lord S, Rochester L. Free-living monitoring of Parkinson's disease: lessons from the field. Mov Disord. 2016;31:1293. doi: 10.1002/mds.26718. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wade DT. Measurement in neurological rehabilitation. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1992. - PubMed

Publication types