Concussion Screening/Assessment
Kinematic assessment of limb movements provides insight into the neural control strategies during development, aging, and neuropathologies, including stroke, concussion. Building on research-grade laboratory-based kinematic measurement using fixed and costly motion capture capabilities, the NRE lab has developed low-cost, portable kinematic measurement systems to conduct motor assessments in real-world environments. In particular, new tools have been developed to permit concussion screening on the bench or sideline of sporting activities.
Wearable Fall Risk Assessment
A common consequence of unsuccessful adaptation to real-world conditions is falling, which is the leading cause of disability in seniors. Despite intensive research, fall prevention approaches are challenged by the multitude and heterogeneity of factors precipitating falls. Our research team and I are developing multimodal wearable sensor methods (e.g., inertial measurement units (IMU) + EMG + EEG) to identify individual fall risks and inform rehabilitation. Academic contributions comprise of literature reviews examining wearable sensor approaches. Technical contributions include novel methods to detect involuntary stepping reactions to recover balance, estimate attentional loads, and extract features of the environment (e.g., terrain, obstacles) using machine vision and deep learning techniques.
