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. 2024 Nov 1;14(11):529.
doi: 10.3390/bios14110529.

Construct Validity of a Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in Measuring Postural Sway and the Effect of Visual Deprivation in Healthy Older Adults

Luca Ferrari  1   2 , Gianluca Bochicchio  1 , Alberto Bottari  1 , Alessandra Scarton  1 , Francesco Lucertini  2 , Silvia Pogliaghi  1   3
Affiliations

Construct Validity of a Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in Measuring Postural Sway and the Effect of Visual Deprivation in Healthy Older Adults

Luca Ferrari et al. Biosensors (Basel). .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: aging; balance; inertial sensors; postural control; risk of falls.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author Alessandra Scarton was employed by the Microgate s.r.l. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A comparison of the mean between ratios and correlation plots is displayed. * indicates statistical significance difference between means. Ratios were calculated by dividing the closed-eye values by the open-eye ones.
Figure 1
Figure 1
A comparison of the mean between ratios and correlation plots is displayed. * indicates statistical significance difference between means. Ratios were calculated by dividing the closed-eye values by the open-eye ones.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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