ArmGaze

Persons with cerebral palsy (CP) have motor dysfunction occurring in both lower and upper limbs. Hemiparetic CP affects one side of the body, and is typically associated with significant impairments in the coordination of upper limb function. Clinicians evaluate severity of upper-limb impairment via a series of tests, monitoring children’s ability to complete functional tasks. Often times, the completion of these tasks is reliant on abnormal compensatory movements, such as at the trunk and shoulder. This is common in activities requiring supination of the wrist. Use of compensatory movement patterns can result in weaker muscles in the affected area which, in turn, can create further unwanted compensations. We have developed a tool for measuring level of compensation during therapy to assist clinicians in developing and monitoring their rehabilitation treatment programs. Our device incorporates accelerometers at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist to provide quantitative information to the therapist on the movement pattern and how it deviates from the desired pattern.