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CareToy: Stimulation and Assessment of Preterm Infant’s Activity Using a Novel Sensorized System

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Abstract

Early intervention programs aim at improving cognitive and motor outcomes of preterm infants. Intensive custom-tailored training activities are usually accompanied by assessment procedures, which have shortcomings, such as subjectivity, complex setups, and need for structured environments. A novel sensorized system, called CareToy, was designed to provide stimulation in the form of goal-directed activity training scenarios and motor pattern assessment of main developmental milestones, such as rolling activity, grasping, and postural stability. A group of 28 differently skilled preterm infants were enrolled. Acquired measurement data were analysed with dedicated sensor data processing algorithms, along with clinical evaluation of motor ability. High correlation among technically determined parameters and Alberta Infant Motor Scale values was determined by Pearson correlation coefficients. Due to good accuracy and possibility of single motor skill subfield analysis, results confirm system suitability for motor ability assessment. Statistical analysis of inter-motor ability group and inter-training goal data comparisons demonstrate system’s appropriateness for goal-directed activity stimulation. The proposed system has evident potential of being an important contribution to the field of infant motor development assessment, expanding accessibility of early intervention programs and affecting rehabilitation effectiveness of preterm infants.

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Abbreviations

AIMS:

Alberta infant motor scale

AP:

Anterior-posterior

ASD:

Autism spectrum disorders

ASQ-3:

Ages & stages questionnaire® Third Edition

CNS:

Central nervous system

COP:

Centre-of-pressure

EI:

Early intervention

FA:

Forearm

ICT:

Information and communication technology

IMU:

Wireless magneto-inertial measurement unit

IVH:

Intra-ventricular haemorrhage

ML:

Medial–lateral

NDD:

Neurodevelopmental disorders

PVL:

Periventricular leukomalacia

ROM:

Range-of-motion

UKF:

Unscented Kalman filter

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the European Union Collaborative Project CareToy grant ICT-2011.5.1-287932 and additionally supported by the Slovenian Research Agency. The authors gratefully acknowledge help of all members of CareToy project Consortium, as well as all the parents and infants participants.

Conflict of Interest

No benefits in any form have been or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Robotics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Trzaska Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Andraž Rihar, Jure Pašič, Matjaž Mihelj & Marko Munih

  2. IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno 331, Calambrone, 56128, Pisa, Italy

    Giuseppina Sgandurra, Elena Beani & Giovanni Cioni

  3. The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’ Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera, 56025, Pisa, Italy

    Francesca Cecchi & Paolo Dario

  4. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 56125, Pisa, Italy

    Giovanni Cioni

Authors
  1. Andraž Rihar
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  2. Giuseppina Sgandurra
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  3. Elena Beani
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  4. Francesca Cecchi
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  5. Jure Pašič
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  6. Giovanni Cioni
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  7. Paolo Dario
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  8. Matjaž Mihelj
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  9. Marko Munih
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matjaž Mihelj.

Additional information

Associate Editor Amit Gefen oversaw the review of this article.

Andraž Rihar and Giuseppina Sgandurra are co-first authors.

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Rihar, A., Sgandurra, G., Beani, E. et al. CareToy: Stimulation and Assessment of Preterm Infant’s Activity Using a Novel Sensorized System. Ann Biomed Eng 44, 3593–3605 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-016-1669-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-016-1669-4

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