New Research on IMU-Based Systems in Clinical Settings

Can an IMU-Based System Help Clinicians Objectively Quantify Upper Limb Mobility in Patients with Motor Disorders?

The journal Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation has recently published an article by PhD student Alessandra Favata and professors Josep Maria Font-Llagunes and Rosa Pàmies-Vilà from the Department of Mechanics, together with Roger Gallart-Agut, Luc van Noort, Jesica Exposito-Escudero, Julita Medina-Cantillo, Carme Torras, and Daniel Natera-de Benito. The study conducted at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, and in collaboration with the Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (IRI), explored the feasibility of using an IMU-based system to assess upper limb mobility in children with neuromuscular diseases. The findings suggest that the system provides objective, quantitative data that strongly correlates with traditional clinical scales. Interestingly, in some cases, the system captured additional information beyond what subjective observation could detect. This demonstrates the potential of IMU-based technology to deliver precise outcome metrics that could enhance clinical decision-making.

The article is available in Open Access at this link https://jneuroengrehab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12984-025-01602-2