Gagnon Cynthia, Lavoie Caroline, Lessard Isabelle, Mathieu Jean, Brais Bernard, Bouchard Jean-Pierre, Fluet Marie-Christine, Gassert Roger, Lambercy Olivier
Groupe de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les maladies neuromusculaires (GRIMN), Québec, Canada; Centre hospitalier affilié universitaire régional (CAUR) de Chicoutimi, Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada; School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
Groupe de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les maladies neuromusculaires (GRIMN), Québec, Canada; Clinique des maladies neuromusculaires, Centre de réadaptation en déficience physique Le Parcours du Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Jonquière, Québec, Canada; Centre hospitalier affilié universitaire régional (CAUR) de Chicoutimi, Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada; School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
J Neurol Sci. 2014 Dec 15;347(1-2):341-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2014.09.032. Epub 2014 Sep 28.
This paper introduces a novel assessment tool to provide clinicians with quantitative and more objective measures of upper limb coordination in patients suffering from Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS). The Virtual Peg Insertion Test (VPIT) involves manipulating an instrumented handle in order to move nine pegs into nine holes displayed in a virtual environment. The main outcome measures were the number of zero-crossings of the hand acceleration vector, as a measure of movement coordination and the total time required to complete the insertion of the nine pegs, as a measure of overall upper limb performance.
8\9 patients with ARSACS were able to complete five repetitions with the VPIT. Patients were found to be significantly less coordinated and slower than age-matched healthy subjects (p<0.01). Performance of ARSACS patients was positively correlated with the Nine-Hole Peg Test (r=0.85, p<0.01) and with age (r=0.93, p<0.01), indicative of the degenerative nature of the disease.
CONCLUSION(S): This study presents preliminary results on the use of a robotics and virtual reality assessment tool with ARSACS patients. Results highlight its potential to assess impaired coordination and monitor its progression over time.
本文介绍一种新型评估工具，为临床医生提供定量且更客观的方法，用以评估患有夏尔沃 - 萨格奈常染色体隐性痉挛性共济失调（ARSACS）患者的上肢协调性。虚拟插栓测试（VPIT）要求操作一个装有仪器的手柄，以便将九个栓子插入虚拟环境中显示的九个孔中。主要结果指标包括手部加速度矢量的过零次数，作为运动协调性的度量；以及完成九个栓子插入所需的总时间，作为上肢整体表现的度量。
8/9 例 ARSACS 患者能够完成五次 VPIT 测试。研究发现，患者的协调性明显低于年龄匹配的健康受试者，且速度更慢（p<0.01）。ARSACS 患者的表现与九孔插栓测试呈正相关（r = 0.85，p<0.01），与年龄也呈正相关（r = 0.93，p<0.01），这表明该疾病具有退行性本质。
本研究展示了针对 ARSACS 患者使用机器人技术和虚拟现实评估工具的初步结果。结果突出了其在评估协调性受损以及监测其随时间进展方面的潜力。
