Hard-shell thoracolumbar sacral orthoses (TLSOs) are used for treating idiopathic scoliosis, a deformation of the spine with a sideways curvature. The pressure required inside the TLSO for ideal corrective results remains unclear. Retrofitting TLSOs with commercially available pressure measurement systems is expensive and can only be performed in a laboratory. The aim of this study was to develop a cost-effective but accurate pressure sensor system for TLSOs. The sensor was built from a piezoresistive polymer, placed between two closed-cell foam liners, and evaluated with a material testing machine. Because foams are energy absorbers, the pressure-conductance curve was affected by hysteresis. The sensor was calibrated on a force plate with the transitions from loading to unloading used to establish the calibration curve. The root mean square error was 12% on average within the required pressure range of 0.01–0.13 MPa. The sensor reacted to the changing pressure during breathing and different activities when tested underneath a chest belt at different tensions. The peak pressure reached 0.135 MPa. The sensor was further tested inside the scoliosis brace during different activities. The measured pressure was 0.014–0.124 MPa. The results from this study enable cheaper and mobile systems to be used for clinical studies on the comfort and pressure of braces during daily activities.

Spasticity is a disabling characteristic of neurological disorders, described by a velocity-dependent increase in muscle tone during passive stretch. During the last few years, many studies have been carried out to assess spasticity using wearable IMU (inertial measurements unit) sensors. This review aims to provide an updated framework of the current research on IMUs wearable sensors in people living with spasticity in recent studies published between 2017 and 2021. A total of 322 articles were screened, then finally 10 articles were selected. Results show the lack of homogenization of study procedures and missing apparatus information in some studies. Still, most studies performed adequately on measures of reporting and found that IMUs wearable data was successful in their respective purposes and goals. As IMUs estimate translational and rotational body motions, we believe there is a strong potential for these applications to estimate velocity-dependent exaggeration of stretch reflexes and spasticity-related characteristics in spasticity. This review also proposes new directions of research that should be challenged by larger study groups and could be of interest to both researchers as well as clinicians. The use of IMUs to evaluate spasticity is a promising avenue to provide an objective measurement as compared to non-instrumented traditional assessments.

The ability of people living with dementia to walk independently is a key contributor to their overall well-being and autonomy. For this reason, understanding the relationship between dementia and gait is significant. With rapidly emerging developments in technology, wearable devices offer a portable and affordable alternative for healthcare experts to objectively estimate kinematic parameters with great accuracy. This systematic review aims to provide an updated overview and explore the opportunities in the current research on wearable sensors for gait analysis in adults over 60 living with dementia. A systematic search was conducted in the following scientific databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and IEEE Xplore. The targeted search identified 1992 articles that were potentially eligible for inclusion, but, following title, abstract, and full-text review, only 6 articles were deemed to meet the inclusion criteria. Most studies performed adequately on measures of reporting, in and out of a laboratory environment, and found that sensor-derived data are successful in their respective objectives and goals. Nevertheless, we believe that additional studies utilizing standardized protocols should be conducted in the future to explore the impact and usefulness of wearable devices in gait-related characteristics such as fall prognosis and early diagnosis in people living with dementia.

For fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, countries used control measures of different severity, from “relaxed” to lockdown. Drastic lockdown measures are considered more effective but also have a negative impact on the economy. When comparing the financial value of lost lives to the losses of an economic disaster, the better option seems to be lockdown measures. We developed a new parameter, the effectiveness of control measures, calculated from the 2nd time derivative of daily case data, for 92 countries, states and provinces. We compared this parameter, and also the mortality during and after the effective phase, for countries with and without lockdowns measures by means of the Mann–Whitney test. We did not find any statistically significant difference in the effectiveness between countries with and without lockdowns (p > 0.76). There was also no significant difference in mortality during the effective phase (p > 0.1); however, a significant difference after the effective phase, with higher mortality for lockdown countries, was identified. The effectiveness correlated well with a parameter derived from the reproductive number (R² = 0.9480). The average duration of the effective phase was 17.3 ± 10.5 days. The results indicated that lockdown measures are not necessarily superior to relaxed measures, which in turn are not necessarily a recipe for failure. Relaxed measures are, however, more economy-friendly.