The Home Evaluation, Assessment, Rating and Training of Gait (HEART-Gait) System for Monitoring Toe-Walking Severity in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Project SummaryCerebral PalsyCPis a group of disorders attributed to non progressive alterations occurring in the brain during fetal and newborn developmentThese alterations affect movementdevelopment and posturecausingsignificant lifetime functional limitationsCP is the most common motor disorder in childrenaffectingindividuals in the US aloneChildren with CP are commonly affected by gait impairmentsOne of the mostcommon impairments is equinus gaitortoe walkingwhich is characterized by predominantly plantarflexedfeet during the whole gait cycleDifferent interventions are available to treat equinus gait in children with CPand include physical therapyorthosesbotulinum toxin injections and surgeryTo determine which interventionis most appropriate to restore mobility for a given patientperiodic gait evaluations are performed in the clinicThis Phase I SBIR proposal will develop a wearable systemHome EvaluationAssessmentRating and Training of GaitHEART Gait systemthat continuously monitors and analyses simple gait parameters in childrenwith CP outside the clinical laboratory and during normal daily activitieswhich will provide clinically useful outcomes data not currently available and critical diagnostic data for determining intervention timingWith accessto continuous datathe medical team is better informed and can effectively plan treatmentthus improving thequality of care and the lives of children with CP and their familiesSpecific Aims areAimDevelop working prototype of HEART GaitMilestones areMSVeristride will optimize sensor selection and placementconstruct prototype data acquisition hardwarefirmware and softwareMonthsAimIteratively design HEART Gait systemMilestones areMSVeristride and the Spaulding team will work closely to modify the prototype system to make it suitable formonitoring toe walking in children with CPMonthsMSThe Spaulding team will interviewcliniciansunaffiliated with the projectandfamiliesguardiansand childrento gather their feedback about the HEART Gait systemMonthsAimEvaluate the feasibility of HEART GaitMilestones areMSThe Spaulding team will recruitchildrenyearswith CP and toe walking patternData will becollected simultaneously from HEART Gait and camera based motion captureMonthsMSThe Spaulding team will derive a clinical index of the severity of toe walking based on ankle biomechanics data collected using the camera based motion capture systemMonthsMSVeristride will collaborate with Spaulding team to develop machine learning algorithms to estimate toewalking severity and characterize accuracyMonthsNarrative Equinus gaitortoe walkingis commonly observed in children with cerebral palsyCPand can be treated by a variety of treatmentsThis SBIR proposal will develop a wearable system that continuously monitors and analyses simple gait parameters in children with CP outside the clinical laboratory and during normal daily activitieswhich will provide clinically useful outcomes data not currently available and critical diagnostic data for determining intervention timingWith access to continuous datathe medical team is better informed and can effectively plan treatmentthus improving the quality of care and the lives of children with CP and their families