Application of dynamic time warping algorithm for pattern similarity of gait

Smartphone-Based Analysis for Early Detection of Aging Impact on Gait and Stair Negotiation: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aging is associated with gradual mobility decline, often undetected until it affects daily life. This study investigates the potential of smartphone-based accelerometry to detect early age-related changes in gait and stair performance in middle-aged adults. Eighty-eight healthy participants were divided into four age groups: young (20-35 years), early middle-aged (45-54 years), late middle-aged (55-65 years), and older adults (65-80 years). They completed single-task, cognitive, and physical dual-task gait assessments and stair negotiation tests. While single-task walking did not reveal early changes, cognitive dual-task cost (DTC) of stride time variability deteriorated in late middle age. A strong indicator of early mobility changes was movement similarity, measured using dynamic time warping (DTW), which declined from early middle age for both cognitive DTC and stair negotiation. These findings highlight the potential of smartphone-based assessments, particularly movement similarity, to detect subtle mobility changes in midlife, allowing for targeted interventions to promote healthy aging.

Motor modules are largely unaffected by pathological walking biomechanics: a simulation study

BACKGROUND

Motor module (a.k.a. muscle synergy) analysis has frequently been used to provide insight into changes in muscle coordination associated with declines in walking performance, to evaluate the effect of different rehabilitation interventions, and more recently, to control exoskeletons and prosthetic devices. However, it remains unclear whether changes in muscle coordination revealed via motor module analysis stem from abnormal walking biomechanics or neural control. This distinction has important implications for the use of motor module analysis for rehabilitation interventions and device design. Thus, this study aims to elucidate the extent to which motor modules emerge from pathological walking biomechanics, i.e. abnormal walking biomechanics commonly observed in individuals with neurological disease and/or injury.

METHODS

We conducted a series of computer simulations using OpenSim Moco to simulate pathological walking biomechanics by manipulating speed, asymmetry, and step width in a three-dimensional musculoskeletal model. We focused on these spatiotemporal metrics because they are commonly altered in individuals with Parkinson's disease, stroke survivors, etc. and have been associated with changes in motor module number and structure. We extracted motor modules using nonnegative matrix factorization from the muscle activations from each simulation. We then examined how alterations in walking biomechanics influenced the number and structure of extracted motor modules and compared the findings to previous experimental studies.

RESULTS

The motor modules identified from our simulations were similar to those identified from previously published experiments of non-pathological walking. Moreover, our findings indicate that the same motor modules can be used to generate a range of pathological-like waking biomechanics by modulating their recruitment over the gait cycle. These results contrast with experimental studies in which pathological-like walking biomechanics are accompanied by a reduction in motor module number and alterations in their structure.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights that pathological walking biomechanics do not necessarily require abnormal motor modules. In other words, changes in number and structure of motor modules can be a valuable indicator of alterations in neuromuscular control and may therefore be useful for guiding rehabilitation interventions and controlling exoskeletons and prosthetic devices in individuals with impaired walking function due to neurological disease or injury.

Machine learning for lumbar and pelvis kinematics clustering

Clustering algorithms such as k-means and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (HCA) may provide a unique opportunity to analyze time-series kinematic data. Here we present an approach for determining number of clusters and which clustering algorithm to use on time-series lumbar and pelvis kinematic data. Cluster evaluation measures such as silhouette coefficient, elbow method, Dunn Index, and gap statistic were used to evaluate the quality of decision making. The result show that multiple clustering evaluation methods should be used to determine the ideal number of clusters and algorithm suitable for clustering time-series data for each dataset being analyzed.

Temporal dynamics of depressive symptoms and cognitive decline in the oldest old: dynamic time warp analysis of the Leiden 85-plus study

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of depressive symptoms and cognitive decline increases with age. We investigated their temporal dynamics in individuals aged 85 and older across a 5-year follow-up period.

METHODS

Participants were selected from the Leiden 85-plus study and were eligible if at least three follow-up measurements were available (325 of 599 participants). Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and at yearly assessments during a follow-up period of up to 5 years, using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Cognitive decline was measured through various tests, including the Mini Mental State Exam, Stroop test, Letter Digit Coding test and immediate and delayed recall. A novel method, dynamic time warping analysis, was employed to model their temporal dynamics within individuals, in undirected and directed time-lag analyses, to ascertain whether depressive symptoms precede cognitive decline in group-level aggregated results or vice versa.

RESULTS

The 325 participants were all 85 years of age at baseline; 68% were female, and 45% received intermediate to higher education. Depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning significantly covaried in time, and directed analyses showed that depressive symptoms preceded most of the constituents of cognitive impairment in the oldest old. Of the GDS-15 symptoms, those with the strongest outstrength, indicating changes in these symptoms preceded subsequent changes in other symptoms, were worthlessness, hopelessness, low happiness, dropping activities/interests, and low satisfaction with life (all P's < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Depressive symptoms preceded cognitive impairment in a population based sample of the oldest old.

A method for selecting the optimal warping path of dynamic time warping in gait analysis

This study aims to demonstrate that when performing dynamic time warping (DTW) on gait data, multiple optimal warping paths (OWPs) with a minimum sum of local costs can occur and to propose an additional OWP selection method to address this problem. A 3-dimensional motion analysis experiment was conducted on 55 adult participants, including both males and females, to acquire gait data. This study analyzed 990 instances of DTW on gait data to examine the occurrence of multiple OWPs with the minimum sum of local costs. We subsequently applied an additional selection method to the multiple OWPs to determine the feasibility of identifying a single OWP. Multiple OWPs through DTW were observed 82 times, accounting for 8.28%. Notably, on the ankle joint of males, the rate was the highest at 11.11%. Cases with two multiple OWPs were the most prevalent at 56.10%, and cases with ten or more multiple OWPs accounted for 19.51%. The additional selection method proposed in this study was applied to the 82 instances in which multiple OWPs occurred. The results demonstrated the ability to identify a unique OWP in all cases. These results hold significance in identifying the shortcomings of conventional OWP selection methods previously employed and proposing solutions. It enhances the reliability, validity, and accuracy of studies utilizing DTW.

Influence of wearing complete dentures on control of head position during walking in edentulous older adults

BACKGROUND

Coordination between the trunk and head is considered important for walking stability. Recent studies have reported that wearing complete dentures could improve trunk stability during walking; however, its effect on the head has not been clarified.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to clarify the effect of complete dentures on head stability during walking in edentulous older adults.

METHODS

Twenty edentulous older adults (11 men and 9 women; mean age, 78.6 ± 5.8 years) who used complete dentures were included in the study. Acceleration and angle rate sensors were placed on the participants' brow, chin and waist, and they were asked to walk a 20-m passage under two conditions: with and without dentures. The outcomes used to assess head stability were the variance values of acceleration and angle rate, the peak-to-peak values, harmonic ratio, root mean square, integrated values of the difference and dynamic time warping data obtained from the sensors. The variance values of the brow acceleration were compared using a paired t-test, and other outcomes were compared using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. All significance levels were set at 5%.

RESULTS

In acceleration without dentures, the variance values of the chin and the peak-to-peak values of the brow and chin were significantly larger than with dentures. Angle rate without dentures, the variance values and the peak-to-peak values of the brow and chin were also significantly larger than with dentures.

CONCLUSION

Wearing complete dentures while walking might improve head stability and contribute to walking stability in edentulous older adults.

Normalization and possibility of classification analysis using the optimal warping paths of dynamic time warping in gait analysis

The purpose of this study was to verify classification performance and the difference analysis between gender using optimal warping paths of dynamic time warping (DTW) and to examine the usefulness of root mean square error (RMSE) represented by the perpendicular distance from the optimal warping path to the diagonal. A 3-dimensional motion analysis experiment was performed with 24 healthy adults (male=12, female=12) in their 20s of age without gait-related diseases or injuries for the past 6 months to collect gait data. This study performed a DTW 132 times in total (male=62, female=62) for the flexion angle of the right leg's hip, knee, and ankle joints. Then, the global cost and the RMSE of the optimal warping paths were calculated and normalized. The difference analysis was performed by independent t-test. Machine learning was performed to test the classification performance using the neural network, support vector machine, and logistic regression model among the supervised models. Results analyzed using global cost and RMSE for hip, knee, and ankle joints showed a statistically significant difference between genders in global cost and RMSE for hip and knee joints but not for ankle joints using RMSE. Considering both area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and F1-score, the logistic regression model has been evaluated as the most suitable for gender classification using the global cost or RMSE. This study demonstrated that optimal warping paths could be used for statistical difference analysis and classification analysis.

Asymmetric Gait Analysis Using a DTW Algorithm with Combined Gyroscope and Pressure Sensor

Walking is one of the most basic human activities. Various diseases may be caused by abnormal walking, and abnormal walking is mostly caused by disease. There are various characteristics of abnormal walking, but in general, it can be judged as asymmetric walking. Generally, spatiotemporal parameters can be used to determine asymmetric walking. The spatiotemporal parameter has the disadvantage that it does not consider the influence of the diversity of patterns and the walking speed. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a method to analyze asymmetric walking using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) distance, a time series analysis method. The DTW distance was obtained by combining gyroscope data and pressure data. The experiment was carried out by performing symmetrical walking and asymmetrical walking, and asymmetric walking was performed as a simulation of hemiplegic walking by fixing one ankle using an auxiliary device. The proposed method was compared with the existing asymmetric gait analysis method. As a result of the experiment, a p-value lower than 0.05 was obtained, which proved that there was a statistically significant difference.

Gait Symmetry Analysis Based on Dynamic Time Warping

Background: Gait deviations may negatively affect the articular surfaces of the lower extremity joints and lead to some minor degenerative changes. The simplest method for gait evaluation is to assess the symmetry of its parameters, assuming that each undisturbed gait should be symmetrical. This study aims to quantify the degree of asymmetry of kinematic and kinetic parameters caused by the presence of different ankle orthosis settings using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW). Methods: Barefoot gait and gait with four different walker settings were investigated in eighteen healthy persons. Kinematic and kinetic parameters were measured using the Vicon system and Kistler plates. Symmetry was assessed using the DTW method. Results: It was shown that the presence of different ankle orthosis settings significantly disturbs the symmetry of all lower limb kinematic parameters and only knee and hip torques. The highest values of asymmetry were noted for the walker set at 15° of dorsiflexion (15DF). Conclusions: The DTW method allowed us to quantify the degree of asymmetry throughout the gait cycle in relation to barefoot walking. Our results suggest that each orthosis position analysed in this study fulfills its protective function, but gait 15DF can lead to the overload of knee and hip joints.

DYSKIMOT: An Ultra-Low-Cost Inertial Sensor to Assess Head's Rotational Kinematics in Adults during the Didren-Laser Test

Various noninvasive measurement devices can be used to assess cervical motion. The size, complexity, and cost of gold-standard systems make them not suited to clinical practice, and actually difficult to use outside a dedicated laboratory. Nowadays, ultra-low-cost inertial measurement units are available, but without any packaging or a user-friendly interface. The so-called DYSKIMOT is a home-designed, small-sized, motion sensor based on the latter technology, aiming at being used by clinicians in "real-life situations". DYSKIMOT was compared with a gold-standard optoelectronic system (Elite). Our goal was to evaluate the DYSKIMOT accuracy in assessing fast head rotations kinematics. Kinematics was simultaneously recorded by systems during the execution of the DidRen Laser test and performed by 15 participants and nine patients. Kinematic variables were computed from the position, speed and acceleration time series. Two-way ANOVA, Passing-Bablok regressions, and dynamic time warping analysis showed good to excellent agreement between Elite and DYSKIMOT, both at the qualitative level of the time series shape and at the quantitative level of peculiar kinematical events' measured values. In conclusion, DYSKIMOT sensor is as relevant as a gold-standard system to assess kinematical features during fast head rotations in participants and patients, demonstrating its usefulness in both clinical practice and research environments.