Zijlstra Wiebren, Aminian Kamiar
Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands.
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Eur J Ageing. 2007 Feb 6;4(1):3-12. doi: 10.1007/s10433-007-0041-9. eCollection 2007 Mar.
A major challenge for researchers and clinicians who address health issues in the ageing population is to monitor functioning, and to timely initiate interventions that aim to prevent loss of functional abilities and to improve the quality of life of older people. With the progress of technologies in the last decades, methods have become available that use body fixed sensors (BFS) to measure aspects of human performance under real-life conditions. These methods are based on the use of miniaturised and integrated sensors in combination with lightweight, small measuring devices that both can be carried on the body without interfering with normal behaviour. This paper addresses the potential relevance of new technology for monitoring motor function in older people, thereby specifically focusing on mobility assessment. After a short introduction with background information about BFS based technology, this paper identifies areas of particular relevance, and discusses the application of ambulatory techniques for long-term monitoring of daily physical activity, fall detectors, fall risk evaluation, and assessment of motor performance such as gait and balance control. Examples are given how these techniques can become clinically relevant, particularly in the context of fall interventions for older people.
对于致力于解决老年人群健康问题的研究人员和临床医生来说，一个主要挑战是监测身体机能，并及时启动旨在防止功能能力丧失和提高老年人生活质量的干预措施。随着过去几十年技术的进步，已经有了一些方法，可利用身体固定传感器（BFS）在现实生活条件下测量人类表现的各个方面。这些方法基于使用小型化和集成化传感器，结合轻巧的小型测量设备，二者都可以佩戴在身上而不干扰正常行为。本文探讨了新技术在监测老年人运动功能方面的潜在相关性，特别关注移动性评估。在简要介绍基于BFS技术的背景信息之后，本文确定了特别相关的领域，并讨论了动态技术在日常身体活动长期监测、跌倒探测器、跌倒风险评估以及步态和平衡控制等运动表现评估中的应用。文中给出了这些技术如何在临床上具有相关性的示例，特别是在针对老年人的跌倒干预背景下。
