Open Access
An evaluation of the 30-s chair stand test in older adults: frailty detection based on kinematic parameters from a single inertial unit
(BioMed Central, 2013) Millor Muruzábal, Nora; Lecumberri Villamediana, Pablo; Gómez Fernández, Marisol; Martínez Ramírez, Alicia; Izquierdo Redín, Mikel; Matemáticas; Ciencias de la Salud; Matematika; Osasun Zientziak; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
Background: A growing interest in frailty syndrome exists because it is regarded as a major predictor of co-morbidities and mortality in older populations. Nevertheless, frailty assessment has been controversial, particularly when identifying this syndrome in a community setting. Performance tests such as the 30-second chair stand test (30-s CST) are a cornerstone for detecting early declines in functional independence. Additionally, recent advances in body-fixed sensors have enhanced the sensors’ ability to automatically and accurately evaluate kinematic parameters related to a specific movement performance. The purpose of this study is to use this new technology to obtain kinematic parameters that can identify frailty in an aged population through the performance the 30-s CST. Methods: Eighteen adults with a mean age of 54 years, as well as sixteen pre-frail and thirteen frail patients with mean ages of 78 and 85 years, respectively, performed the 30-s CST while threir trunk movements were measured by a sensor-unit at vertebra L3. Sit-stand-sit cycles were determined using both acceleration and orientation information to detect failed attempts. Movement-related phases (i.e. impulse, stand-up, and sit-down) were differentiated based on seat off and seat on events. Finally, the kinematic parameters of the impulse, stand-up and sit-down phases were obtained to identify potential differences across the three frailty groups. Results: For the stand-up and sit-down phases, velocity peaks and “modified impulse” parameters clearly differentiated subjects with different frailty levels (p < 0.001). The trunk orientation range during the impulse phase was also able to classify a subject according to his frail syndrome (p < 0.001). Furthermore, these parameters derived from the inertial units (IUs) are sensitive enough to detect frailty differences not registered by the number of completed cycles which is the standard test outcome. Conclusions: This study shows that IUs can enhance the information gained from tests currently used in clinical practice, such as the 30-s CST. Parameters such as velocity peaks, impulse, and orientation range are able to differentiate between adults and older populations with different frailty levels. This study indicates that early frailty detection could be possible in clinical environments, and the subsequent interventions to correct these disabilities could be prescribed before further degradation occurs.
Open Access
Women, Science and Technology Chair—Promoting women’s careers in stem fields
(IEEE, 2023) Pérez Artieda, Miren Gurutze; Gómez Fernández, Marisol; Aranguren Garacochea, Patricia; Barrenechea Tartas, Edurne; Catalán Ros, Leyre; Díaz Lucas, Silvia; Jurío Munárriz, Aránzazu; Martínez Ramírez, Alicia; Millor Muruzábal, Nora; Ortiz Nicolás, Amalia; San Martín Biurrun, Idoia; Estadística, Informática y Matemáticas; Ingeniería; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Estatistika, Informatika eta Matematika; Ingeniaritza; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren
The Chair of Women, Science and Technology of the Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA) aims to increase the participation of women in the fields of science and technology. Scientific culture and dissemination are the main focus of the different actions of the Chair. These activities include: the theatrical performance "Yo quiero ser científica", experimental workshops and conferences and exhibitions for all audiences and ages. More than 6.000 people have seen the play, more than 1.500 secondary school students have participated in the workshops and the audiovisual material has received more than 20.000 visits.
Open Access
Relevance of sex, age and gait kinematics when predicting fall-risk and mortality in older adults
(Elsevier, 2020) Porta Cuéllar, Sonia; Martínez Ramírez, Alicia; Millor Muruzábal, Nora; Gómez Fernández, Marisol; Izquierdo Redín, Mikel; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Estadística, Informática y Matemáticas; Ciencias de la Salud; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Estatistika, Informatika eta Matematika; Osasun Zientziak; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua, 87/10
Approximately one-third of elderly people fall each year with severe consequences, including death. The aim of this study was to identify the most relevant features to be considered to maximize the accuracy of a logistic regression model designed for prediction of fall/mortality risk among older people. This study included 261 adults, aged over 65 years. Men and women were analyzed separately because sex stratification was revealed as being essential for our purposes of feature ranking and selection. Participants completed a 3-m walk test at their own gait velocity. An inertial sensor attached to their lumbar spine was used to record acceleration data in the three spatial directions. Signal processing techniques allowed the extraction of 21 features representative of gait kinematics, to be used as predictors to train and test the model. Age and gait speed data were also considered as predictors. A set of 23 features was considered. These features demonstrate to be more or less relevant depending on the sex of the cohort under analysis and the classification label (risk of falls and mortality). In each case, the minimum size subset of relevant features is provided to show the maximum accuracy prediction capability. Gait speed has been largely used as the single feature for the prediction fall risk among older adults. Nevertheless, prediction accuracy can be substantially improved, reaching 70% in some cases, if the task of training and testing the model takes into account some other features, namely, sex, age and gait kinematic parameters. Therefore we recommend considering sex, age and step regularity to predict fall-risk.
Open Access
Do frailty and cognitive impairment affect dual-task cost during walking in the oldest old institutionalized patients?
(Springer, 2015-12-14) Lusa Cadore, Eduardo; Casas Herrero, Álvaro; Zambom Ferraresi, Fabrício; Martínez Ramírez, Alicia; Millor Muruzábal, Nora; Gómez Fernández, Marisol; Bays Moneo, Ana Beatriz; Izquierdo Redín, Mikel; Ciencias de la Salud; Osasun Zientziak; Matemáticas; Matematika
Open Access
Cátedra Mujer, Ciencia y Tecnología de la UPNA
(Gobierno de Navarra, 2023) Aranguren Garacochea, Patricia; Barrenechea Tartas, Edurne; Catalán Ros, Leyre; Díaz Lucas, Silvia; Jurío Munárriz, Aránzazu; Martínez Ramírez, Alicia; Millor Muruzábal, Nora; Gómez Fernández, Marisol; San Martín Biurrun, Idoia; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoa eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritza; Estadística, Informática y Matemáticas; Estatistika, Informatika eta Matematika; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2
La Cátedra Mujer, Ciencia y Tecnología de la Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA) tiene como objetivo aumentar la participación de las mujeres en campos de ciencia y tecnología. La cultura y la divulgación científicas son el eje principal de la actividad de la Cátedra. Dicha actividad engloba: la representación teatral Yo quiero ser científica, talleres experimentales y conferencias y exposiciones para todos los públicos y edades. Más de 6000 personas han visto la obra de teatro, más de 1500 estudiantes de ESO han participado en los talleres y el material audiovisual ha recibido más de 20000 visitas.
Open Access
Initiative to increment the number of women in STEM degrees: women, science and technology chair of the Public University of Navarre
(IEEE, 2020) Aranguren Garacochea, Patricia; San Martín Biurrun, Idoia; Catalán Ros, Leyre; Martínez Ramírez, Alicia; Jurío Munárriz, Aránzazu; Díaz Lucas, Silvia; Pérez Artieda, Miren Gurutze; Gómez Fernández, Marisol; Barrenechea Tartas, Edurne; Estadística, Informática y Matemáticas; Ingeniería; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Estatistika, Informatika eta Matematika; Ingeniaritza; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The Public University of Navarre joined with Navarre Government has created the Women, Science and Technology Chair. This chair arises due to the plummeting tendency of the percentage of women in STEM degrees with the aim of reversing this trend. The programme of activities is defined throughout this contribution by six activities: a Theatre Play, a Poster Award on Final Degree/Masters Project, The 1st Week of Women, Science and Technology, the Promotion of Technical Degrees in schools and high-schools, a Workshop about Gender Stereotypes and the Fostering of Women among Science and Environment. Each activity gained great success and the preset goals were highly accomplished, especially, the 1st Week of Women, Science and Technology activity. The latter achieved a great success both in participation and in repercussion, contributing to visualize the role of women in science and technology.
Open Access
Impacto en el personal sanitario de urgencias extrahospitalarias de las cargas elevadas en la movilización de pacientes con silla de transporte
(Asociación de Especialistas en Enfermería del Trabajo, 2018) Arenal Gota, Tania; Viana Gárriz, Juan Luis; Millor Muruzábal, Nora; Martínez Ramírez, Alicia; Gómez Fernández, Marisol; Belzunegui Otano, Tomás; Estadística, Informática y Matemáticas; Estatistika, Informatika eta Matematika; Ciencias de la Salud; Osasun Zientziak
Introducción. El objetivo del estudio es valorar el esfuerzo físico realizado por el personal de la urgencia extrahospitalaria al trasladar pacientes de su domicilio a la ambulancia. Material y métodos. Estudio observacional transversal con un muestreo no probabilístico de conveniencia. Se comparan tres grupos: bomberos, mujeres y hombres técnicos en emergencias sanitarias (TES), utilizando sensores inerciales con los que obtenemos datos relativos del movimiento que ejecutan 10 profesionales sanitarios del ámbito extrahospitalario (4 bomberos y 6 TES) al bajar un paciente por las escaleras en condiciones similares a una urgencia. Resultados. Los sujetos que se encuentran en la posición de arriba en el desplazamiento de la carga presentan mayor aceleración en el plano suelo-techo y en la pierna izquierda. Las mujeres presentaron mayor aceleración en piernas y brazos que el resto, sin embargo, es en los brazos donde es significativamente superior. Cuando el sujeto que está en la posición de abajo en el desplazamiento de la carga, bajando la silla de espaldas, la aceleración de las piernas es superior que al bajarla en sentido de la marcha. Conclusiones. Los sujetos presentan mayor aceleración en piernas, siendo el lugar del cuerpo que sufre la suma del peso del paciente y del trabajador. Las mujeres presentan una mayor aceleración por lo que su esfuerzo físico es más acusado. Bajar la silla en sentido de la marcha, disminuye la aceleración en las piernas por lo que está posición es ergonómicamente mejor. Cuanto mayor es la estabilidad al bajar la silla y mayor seguridad del trabajador al desempeñar este trabajo, disminuye su aceleración y por lo tanto el esfuerzo físico que realiza.
Open Access
Pre-operative ambulatory measurement of asymmetric lower limb loading during walking in total hip arthroplasty patients
(BioMed Central, 2013) Martínez Ramírez, Alicia; Weenk, Dirk; Lecumberri Villamediana, Pablo; Verdonschot, Nico; Pakvis, Dean; Veltink, Peter H.; Matemáticas; Matematika; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Background: Total hip arthroplasty is a successful surgical procedure to treat hip osteoarthritis. Clinicians use different questionnaires to assess the patient’s pain and functional capacity. Furthermore, they assess the quality of gait in a very global way. This clinical evaluation usually shows significant improvement after total hip arthroplasty, however, does not provide objective, quantifiable information about the movement patterns underlying the functional capacity, which can currently only be obtained in a gait laboratory. Instrumented force shoes can quantify gait velocity, ground reaction forces and the gait pattern easily in an outpatient setting. The main goal of this study was to investigate how mobility characteristics during walking, relate to gait velocity and questionnaire outcomes of patients with hip osteoarthritis in an outpatient setting. Methods: 22 patients with primary osteoarthritis of the hip selected for a total hip arthroplasty participated in this study. For each patient the Harris Hip Score, the Traditional Western Ontario and the McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index were administered. Subsequently, the patients were instructed to walk through the corridor while wearing instrumented shoes. The gait velocity estimated with the instrumented force shoes was validated measuring the time required to walk a distance of 10 m using a stopwatch and a measuring tape as a reference system. A regression analysis between spatial, temporal, ground reaction force parameters, including asymmetry, and the gait velocity and the questionnaires outcomes was performed. Results: The velocity estimated with the instrumented shoes did not differ significantly from the velocity measured independently. Although gait parameters correlated significantly with velocity, symmetry index parameters were not correlated with velocity. These symmetry index parameters show significant inter-limb asymmetry during walking. No correlation was found between any of the variables studied and questionnaires outcomes. Conclusion: Inter-limb asymmetry can be evaluated with the instrumented shoes supplying important additional information about the individual gait pattern, which is not represented by gait velocity and questionnaires usually used. Therefore, this new ambulatory measurement system is able to provide complementary information to gait velocity and questionnaires outcomes to assess the functional capacity of patients with hip osteoarthritis.
Open Access
Assessment of asymmetric leg loading before and after total hip arthroplasty using instrumented shoes
(BioMed Central, 2014) Martínez Ramírez, Alicia; Weenk, Dirk; Lecumberri Villamediana, Pablo; Verdonschot, Nico; Pakvis, Dean; Veltink, Peter H.; Matemáticas; Matematika
Background: Total hip arthroplasty is a successful surgical treatment in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip. Different questionnaires are used by the clinicians to assess functional capacity and the patient's pain, despite these questionnaires are known to be subjective. Furthermore, many studies agree that kinematic and kinetic parameters are crucial to evaluate and to provide useful information about the patient’s evolution for clinicians and rehabilitation specialists. However, these quantities can currently only be obtained in a fully equipped gait laboratory. Instrumented shoes can quantify gait velocity, kinetic, kinematic and symmetry parameters. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the instrumented shoes is a sufficiently sensitive instrument to show differences in mobility performance before and after total hip arthroplasty. Methods: In this study, patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty were measured before and 6–8 months after total hip arthroplasty. Both measurement sessions include 2 functional mobility tasks while the subject was wearing instrumented shoes. Before each measurement the Harris Hip Score and the Traditional Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index were administered as well. Results: The stance time and the average vertical ground reaction force measured with the instrumented shoes during walking, and their symmetry index, showed significant differences before and after total hip arthroplasty. However, the data obtained with the sit to stand test did not reveal this improvement after surgery. Conclusions: Our results show that inter-limb asymmetry during a walking activity can be evaluated with the instrumented shoes before and after total hip arthroplasty in an outpatient clinical setting.
Open Access
Valoración de la capacidad funcional en el ámbito domiciliario y en la clínica. Nuevas posibilidades de aplicación de la acelerometría para la valoración de la marcha, equilibrio y potencia muscular en personas mayores
(Gobierno de Navarra, 2008) Izquierdo Redín, Mikel; Martínez Ramírez, Alicia; Larrión, J. L.; Irujo Espinosa, M.; Gómez Fernández, Marisol; Matemáticas; Matematika
Dentro de cualquier población de individuos mayores de 65 años, una proporción sustancial (entre el 6% y el 25%) sufre diferentes síntomas del síndrome de fragilidad. A pesar de la complejidad del termino fragilidad y de las imprecisiones en cuanto a su definición existe un consenso sobre sus síntomas y signos. Las personas que poseen este síndrome presentan pérdidas de fuerza muscular, fatiga, disminución de la actividad física, con un aumento del riesgo de padecer anorexia-pérdida de peso, delirium, hospitalización, declive funcional, deterioro cognitivo, mortalidad, ingreso en residencias, caídas e inestabilidad. Bajo este contexto, surge la necesidad de desarrollar tests que sean capaces de predecir de la forma más precoz posible la fragilidad y la discapacidad. La acelerometría es una herramienta adecuada para la monitorización de movimientos humanos de una forma objetiva y fiable, aplicable en la vida diaria de los sujetos sin implicar grandes costes. Los acelerómetros están siendo utilizados en la monitorización de diferentes movimientos. Se pueden obtener una amplio abanico de medidas como: clasificación de movimientos, valoración del nivel de actividad física, estimación del gasto de energía metabólica, medida del equilibrio, ritmo de marcha y control al levantarse-sentarse. Combinando la acelerometría con giróscopos y magnetómetros se podrá añadir información relacionada con la orientación y los cambios de posición. Esta revisión analiza las herramientas y tecnologías existentes que puedan llegar a detectar de manera precoz posibles signos y síntomas de la fragilidad y permitan a los individuos vivir autónomamente de forma más prolongada y en condiciones de mayor seguridad.