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Development of a computer-controlled device to quantitatively measure the degree of spasticity at a subject’s ankle Aitchison, Jeffrey R.

Abstract

The objective of this thesis project was to develop a device to quantitatively measure the degree of spasticity at a subject's ankle, and to use this device to find a means to determine a quantified measure of spasticity. The device imposes a controlled passive rotation of a subject's ankle joint, while simultaneously recording the resulting resistive torque and associated electromyographic (EMG) muscle activity. Comparative analysis of Data from subjects with and without spasticity were compared to identify response characteristics and parameters which could be associated with the presence and/or severity of spasticity. These differences were evaluated by modeling the data with a mathematical equation representing spasticity response. Parameters of the equation were then analyzed, and two of the four parameters deemed to be robust, reliable indicators of spasticity, were plotted to create a diagnostic model and curve for distinguishing between test subjects with and without spasticity. The perpendicular distance of the data points from the model curve can then be utilized as a quantified measure of spasticity. This quantified measure of spasticity was found to correlate with clinical evaluations. The analysis of variance test determined a 7.8 % probability that the sets of data, from subjects with and without spasticity, were from the same population, indicating that there was a significant difference between the two data sets. Thus it is concluded that a diagnostic model has been developed which shows potential as a means to quantify spasticity.

Item Metadata

Title	Development of a computer-controlled device to quantitatively measure the degree of spasticity at a subject’s ankle
Creator	Aitchison, Jeffrey R.
Publisher	University of British Columbia
Date Issued	1996
Description	The objective of this thesis project was to develop a device to quantitatively measure the degree of spasticity at a subject's ankle, and to use this device to find a means to determine a quantified measure of spasticity. The device imposes a controlled passive rotation of a subject's ankle joint, while simultaneously recording the resulting resistive torque and associated electromyographic (EMG) muscle activity. Comparative analysis of Data from subjects with and without spasticity were compared to identify response characteristics and parameters which could be associated with the presence and/or severity of spasticity. These differences were evaluated by modeling the data with a mathematical equation representing spasticity response. Parameters of the equation were then analyzed, and two of the four parameters deemed to be robust, reliable indicators of spasticity, were plotted to create a diagnostic model and curve for distinguishing between test subjects with and without spasticity. The perpendicular distance of the data points from the model curve can then be utilized as a quantified measure of spasticity. This quantified measure of spasticity was found to correlate with clinical evaluations. The analysis of variance test determined a 7.8 % probability that the sets of data, from subjects with and without spasticity, were from the same population, indicating that there was a significant difference between the two data sets. Thus it is concluded that a diagnostic model has been developed which shows potential as a means to quantify spasticity.
Extent	5986195 bytes
Genre	Thesis/Dissertation
Type	Text
File Format	application/pdf
Language	eng
Date Available	2009-03-07
Provider	Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights	For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
DOI	10.14288/1.0080881
URI	http://hdl.handle.net/2429/5720
Degree	Master of Applied Science - MASc
Program	Mechanical Engineering
Affiliation	Applied Science, Faculty of; Mechanical Engineering, Department of
Degree Grantor	University of British Columbia
Graduation Date	1997-05
Campus	UBCV
Scholarly Level	Graduate
Aggregated Source Repository	DSpace

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ubc_1997-0054.pdf -- 5.71MB

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For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.