Fifteen Years of Wireless Sensors for Balance Assessment in Neurological Disorders
Alessandro Zampogna,
Ilaria Mileti,
Eduardo Palermo,
Claudia Celletti,
Marco Paoloni,
Alessandro Manoni,
Ivan Mazzetta,
Gloria Dalla Costa,
Carlos Pérez-López,
Filippo Camerota,
Letizia Leocani,
Joan Cabestany,
Fernanda Irrera,
Antonio Suppa
Affiliations
Alessandro Zampogna
Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Ilaria Mileti
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Eduardo Palermo
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Claudia Celletti
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Marco Paoloni
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Alessandro Manoni
Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Ivan Mazzetta
Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Gloria Dalla Costa
Department of Neurorehabilitation and Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, INSPE-Institute of Experimental Neurology, University Vita-Salute and Hospital San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
Carlos Pérez-López
Technical Research Centre for Dependency Care and Autonomous Living (CETpD), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Vilanova I la Geltrú, 08800 Barcelona, Spain
Filippo Camerota
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Letizia Leocani
Department of Neurorehabilitation and Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, INSPE-Institute of Experimental Neurology, University Vita-Salute and Hospital San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
Joan Cabestany
Technical Research Centre for Dependency Care and Autonomous Living (CETpD), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Vilanova I la Geltrú, 08800 Barcelona, Spain
Fernanda Irrera
Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Antonio Suppa
Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Balance impairment is a major mechanism behind falling along with environmental hazards. Under physiological conditions, ageing leads to a progressive decline in balance control per se. Moreover, various neurological disorders further increase the risk of falls by deteriorating specific nervous system functions contributing to balance. Over the last 15 years, significant advancements in technology have provided wearable solutions for balance evaluation and the management of postural instability in patients with neurological disorders. This narrative review aims to address the topic of balance and wireless sensors in several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and other neurodegenerative and acute clinical syndromes. The review discusses the physiological and pathophysiological bases of balance in neurological disorders as well as the traditional and innovative instruments currently available for balance assessment. The technical and clinical perspectives of wearable technologies, as well as current challenges in the field of teleneurology, are also examined.
