An upper-limb activity tracker: improving arm functioning after stroke

This project develops a novel activity tracker that stimulates people with stroke to use the hand more frequently and intensively in order to improve hand skills. Based on the extensive experience within this consortium, Erasmus MC, Rijndam Revalidation and 2M Engineering will develop an activity tracker that is innovative in measuring hand use as well as in providing patient-specific triggers to stimulate hand use after stroke.

Stroke is a major threat to self-dependence since it often affects the upper limbs, which are essential to perform a majority of daily life activities. Furthermore, stroke is a disease with a high incidence (the Netherlands: about 41000 per year) and the estimated annual care costs of stroke are enormous (the Netherlands: almost 2.3 billion euros for 2011). With the aging of society both the incidence and costs will further increase. Hence, improvement of rehabilitation strategies targeting arm-hand use and functioning is urgently required.

Therefore, this project develops a novel therapy based on a hand activity tracker. The activity tracker stimulates hand use in stroke patients using patient-specific triggers, to improve hand functioning. In addition, outcomes on hand use will be transferred to the patient’s therapists to personalize treatment. This project will result in a more optimal and efficient treatment of a large group of stroke patients, thereby reducing costs and improving patients’ independency, self-management, vitality and quality of life.

Our consortium will design an innovative hand activity tracker and develop prototypes. The hand activity tracker will consist of two wrist-worn devices and – if needed – one device attached to the leg. It will measure hand use and stimulate stroke patients to use their affected hand based on automated and individualized triggers. In addition, outcomes on hand use can be transferred to the patient’s therapists to tailor treatment to defined goals.