Comparing nape vs. T4 placement for a mobile Wireless Gait Analysis sensor using the Dynamic Gait Index test

A comprehensive and quantified gait analysis is warranted for patients with balance disorders to prevent injury such as falls. We report here a custom-designed wireless-gait-analysis-sensor (WGAS) to perform functional gait analysis targeted for clinically evaluating balance disorders. We report here our first efforts to determine the optimal placements of the WGAS in normal subjects for movement differentiation, while minimizing outliers and data artifacts with improved sensor technology. Normal subjects performed a gold-standard Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) tests for fall risk assessment, while the WGAS was adhered to either the T4 or the nape area. Our WGAS consists of a 3-axis linear accelerometer and gyroscopes, and the real-time gait data was transmitted wirelessly to a nearby PC and statistical analysis was done on each of the 7 DGI test on 3 volunteers repeated five times for either placement. The data suggests T4 is the preferred WGAS placement for gait analysis.