Design and development of &amp;#x201C;biomechatronic gym&amp;#x201D; for early detection of neurological disorders in infants

Cecchi, Francesca; Serio, S.M.; Maestro, M. Del; Laschi, Cecilia; Sgandurra, Giuseppina; Cioni, Giovanni; Dario, P.

doi:10.1109/iembs.2010.5627886

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…As newborn infants are inherently uncooperative subjects, a further requirement of the device is that their natural movements can be safely measured under natural conditions [ 6 , 19 ]. To allow for handling by a newborn infant, the proposed tool should be small and lightweight, and its shape should be appropriate to improve engagement and encourage palmar grasping [ 26 ].…”

Section: Basic Requirements and Components Of The Smart Graspable mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of these studies have utilized technologies to assess grasping behavior in terms of strength and holding time, as well as to investigate the relationship between grasping pattern and intrinsic (e.g., infant gender, weight, premature births) and extrinsic factors (e.g., object shape and texture) [ 14 , 15 ]. The aforementioned measuring systems have used pressure transducers based on electrical components which are unusable inside the MRI scanner [ 6 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. MR-compatible technology requires unconventional solutions to ensure safety due to the strong static magnetic field and avoid electromagnetic interference (EMI), with further attention required for successfully imaging infant subjects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An fMRI Compatible Smart Device for Measuring Palmar Grasping Actions in Newborns

Presti

Dall’Orso

Muceli

et al. 2020

Sensors

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Grasping is one of the first dominant motor behaviors that enable interaction of a newborn infant with its surroundings. Although atypical grasping patterns are considered predictive of neuromotor disorders and injuries, their clinical assessment suffers from examiner subjectivity, and the neuropathophysiology is poorly understood. Therefore, the combination of technology with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may help to precisely map the brain activity associated with grasping and thus provide important insights into how functional outcomes can be improved following cerebral injury. This work introduces an MR-compatible device (i.e., smart graspable device (SGD)) for detecting grasping actions in newborn infants. Electromagnetic interference immunity (EMI) is achieved using a fiber Bragg grating sensor. Its biocompatibility and absence of electrical signals propagating through the fiber make the safety profile of the SGD particularly favorable for use with fragile infants. Firstly, the SGD design, fabrication, and metrological characterization are described, followed by preliminary assessments on a preterm newborn infant and an adult during an fMRI experiment. The results demonstrate that the combination of the SGD and fMRI can safely and precisely identify the brain activity associated with grasping behavior, which may enable early diagnosis of motor impairment and help guide tailored rehabilitation programs.

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Section: Basic Requirements and Components Of The Smart Graspable mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An fMRI Compatible Smart Device for Measuring Palmar Grasping Actions in Newborns

Presti

Dall’Orso

Muceli

et al. 2020

Sensors

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…An instrumented sorting block toy was shown to be sufficiently sensitive to demonstrate differences in performance related to motor planning and task difficulty ( 31 ). This concept has also been extended further for babies by integrating intelligent toys into a baby gym, providing an engaging and involving enriched environment for an ecological assessment of reaching patterns and grasping forces in infants aged between 4 and 9 months ( 32 , 34 , 35 ). Longitudinal trials have demonstrated that this system is capable of providing quantitative measures of power grip maturation patterns in healthy infant subjects, and has the potential to be employed to objectively assess hand function in this naturally uncooperative population ( 34 , 36 ).…”

Section: Early Infant Motor Development and Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This concept has also been extended further for babies by integrating intelligent toys into a baby gym, providing an engaging and involving enriched environment for an ecological assessment of reaching patterns and grasping forces in infants aged between 4 and 9 months ( 32 , 34 , 35 ). Longitudinal trials have demonstrated that this system is capable of providing quantitative measures of power grip maturation patterns in healthy infant subjects, and has the potential to be employed to objectively assess hand function in this naturally uncooperative population ( 34 , 36 ). Meaningful measures about standing balance and gait in older children have also been derived from commercial gaming devices such as the Nintendo Wii, with the advantage that the device is generally familiar and attractive to the children being assessed ( 37 ).…”

Section: Early Infant Motor Development and Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology-Aided Assessment of Sensorimotor Function in Early Infancy

2014

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There is a pressing need for new techniques capable of providing accurate information about sensorimotor function during the first 2 years of childhood. Here, we review current clinical methods and challenges for assessing motor function in early infancy, and discuss the potential benefits of applying technology-assisted methods. We also describe how the use of these tools with neuroimaging, and in particular functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), can shed new light on the intra-cerebral processes underlying neurodevelopmental impairment. This knowledge is of particular relevance in the early infant brain, which has an increased capacity for compensatory neural plasticity. Such tools could bring a wealth of knowledge about the underlying pathophysiological processes of diseases such as cerebral palsy; act as biomarkers to monitor the effects of possible therapeutic interventions; and provide clinicians with much needed early diagnostic information.

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“…It is a technological and modular system able to provide, by means of tele-rehabilitation, a home and personalized intervention for very young infants (for further details see [15, 16]). CT allows subjects to carry out an early, intensive, individual EI carried out at home by parents consisting of highly customized exercises (rehabilitative packages called scenarios) remotely monitored by a clinical staff [15–18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early intervention at home in infants with congenital brain lesion with CareToy revised: a RCT protocol

Sgandurra

Beani

Giampietri³

et al. 2018

BMC Pediatr

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BackgroundCongenital brain lesions expose infants to be at high-risk for being affected by neurodevelopmental disorders such as cerebral palsy (CP). Early interventions programs can significantly impact and improve their neurodevelopment. Recently, in the framework of the European CareToy (CT) Project (www.caretoy.eu), a new medical device has been created to deliver an early, intensive, customized, intervention program, carried out at home by parents but remotely managed by expert and trained clinicians. Reviewing results of previous studies on preterm infants without congenital brain lesion, the CT platform has been revised and a new system created (CT-R).This study describes the protocol of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate, in a sample of infants at high-risk for CP, the efficacy of CT-R intervention compared to the Infant Massage (IM) intervention.Methods/designThis RCT will be multi-centre, paired and evaluator-blinded. Eligible subjects will be preterm or full-term infants with brain lesions, in first year of age with predefined specific gross motor abilities. Recruited infants will be randomized into CT-R and IM groups at baseline (T0). Based on allocation, infants will perform an 8-week programme of personalized CareToy activities or Infant Massage. The primary outcome measure will be the Infant Motor Profile. On the basis of power calculation, it will require a sample size of 42 infants. Moreover, Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-Second Edition, Teller Acuity Cards, standardized video-recordings of parent-infant interaction and wearable sensors (Actigraphs) will be included as secondary outcome measures. Finally, parents will fill out questionnaires (Bayley Social-Emotional, Parents Stress Index). All outcome measures will be carried out at the beginning (T0) and at end of 8-weeks intervention period, primary endpoint (T1). Primary outcome and some secondary outcomes will be carried out also after 2 months from T1 and at 18 months of age (T2 and T3, respectively). The Bayley Cognitive subscale will be used as additional assessment at T3.DiscussionThis study protocol paper is the first study aimed to test CT-R system in infants at high-risk for CP. This paper will present the scientific background and trial methodology.Trial registrationNCT03211533 and NCT03234959 (www.clinicaltrials.gov).

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Design and development of “biomechatronic gym” for early detection of neurological disorders in infants

Cited by 12 publications

References 12 publications

An fMRI Compatible Smart Device for Measuring Palmar Grasping Actions in Newborns

An fMRI Compatible Smart Device for Measuring Palmar Grasping Actions in Newborns

Technology-Aided Assessment of Sensorimotor Function in Early Infancy

Early intervention at home in infants with congenital brain lesion with CareToy revised: a RCT protocol

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