Libak Abou1, Ellyce Wong1, Joseph Peters1, Mauricette S Dossou2, Jacob J Sosnoff3, Laura A Rice4. 1. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA. 2. Centre National Hospitalier et Universitaire de Pneumo-Phtisiologie, Cotonou, BENIN. 3. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA; Illinois Multiple Sclerosis Research Collaborative, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA. 4. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA; Illinois Multiple Sclerosis Research Collaborative, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA. Electronic address: ricela@illinois.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Methods to effectively assess gait and balance impairments are necessary to guide interventions among people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS). Smartphone-based evaluations are becoming popular due to the ubiquitous use of smartphones in society. OBJECTIVE: To determine the current state of smartphone applications that assess gait and balance among PwMS. METHODS: Two independent reviewers screened articles retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, and SportDiscuss. Articles meeting eligibility criteria were summarized and qualitatively discussed. Participant characteristics, validity, reliability, sensitivity and specificity measures, and main results of smartphone-based gait and balance evaluations were summarized. Methodological quality appraisal of the studies was performed using the quality assessment tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: Eight articles were included in this review. The studies present mostly with low risk of bias. All studies successfully tested the use of smartphone applications in assessing gait and balance among PwMS. In total, 75% of the studies evaluated the validity; 38% evaluated the reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of smartphone applications to assess gait and balance. Of those, all studies except one found smartphone applications to be appropriately valid, reliable, sensitive, and specific in assessing gait and balance. Most studies (88%) reported PwMS and clinicians as their intended users. CONCLUSION: There is evidence supporting the use of smartphone applications to assess gait and balance among PwMS. Future studies should further examine the psychometric properties of smartphone-based gait and postural control assessments as well as the sensitivity and specificity to improve the interpretation of the results.
BACKGROUND: Methods to effectively assess gait and balance impairments are necessary to guide interventions among people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS). Smartphone-based evaluations are becoming popular due to the ubiquitous use of smartphones in society. OBJECTIVE: To determine the current state of smartphone applications that assess gait and balance among PwMS. METHODS: Two independent reviewers screened articles retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, and SportDiscuss. Articles meeting eligibility criteria were summarized and qualitatively discussed. Participant characteristics, validity, reliability, sensitivity and specificity measures, and main results of smartphone-based gait and balance evaluations were summarized. Methodological quality appraisal of the studies was performed using the quality assessment tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: Eight articles were included in this review. The studies present mostly with low risk of bias. All studies successfully tested the use of smartphone applications in assessing gait and balance among PwMS. In total, 75% of the studies evaluated the validity; 38% evaluated the reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of smartphone applications to assess gait and balance. Of those, all studies except one found smartphone applications to be appropriately valid, reliable, sensitive, and specific in assessing gait and balance. Most studies (88%) reported PwMS and clinicians as their intended users. CONCLUSION: There is evidence supporting the use of smartphone applications to assess gait and balance among PwMS. Future studies should further examine the psychometric properties of smartphone-based gait and postural control assessments as well as the sensitivity and specificity to improve the interpretation of the results.
Authors: Pim van Oirschot; Marco Heerings; Karine Wendrich; Bram den Teuling; Frank Dorssers; René van Ee; Marijn Bart Martens; Peter Joseph Jongen Journal: JMIR Form Res Date: 2021-11-17
Authors: Johannes Lorscheider; Yvonne Naegelin; Tim Woelfle; Silvan Pless; Oscar Reyes; Andrea Wiencierz; Anthony Feinstein; Pasquale Calabrese; Konstantin Gugleta; Ludwig Kappos Journal: J Neurol Date: 2022-08-30 Impact factor: 6.682