A reliable and efficient adaptive Bayesian method to assess static lower limb position sense
Date
2023-05-15
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Neuroscience Methods
Abstract
Highlights
- We developed a novel static lower limb position sense assessment during standing.
- The method, a 2AFC task, uses a Bayesian adaptive algorithm to improve efficiency.
- The method achieved reliable lower limb position sense estimates in 50 trials.
- This method should serve as a useful tool for gait and balance researchers.
Background
Lower limb proprioception is critical for maintaining stability during gait and may impact how individuals modify their movements in response to changes in the environment and body state, a process termed “sensorimotor adaptation”. However, the connection between lower limb proprioception and sensorimotor adaptation during human gait has not been established. We suspect this gap is due in part to the lack of reliable, efficient methods to assess global lower limb proprioception in an ecologically valid context.
New Method
We assessed static lower limb proprioception using an alternative forced choice task, administered twice to determine test-retest reliability. Participants stood on a dual-belt treadmill which passively moved one limb to stimulus locations selected by a Bayesian adaptive algorithm. At the stimulus locations, participants judged relative foot positions and the algorithm estimated the point of subjective equality (PSE) and the uncertainty of lower limb proprioception.
Results
Using the Bland-Altman method, combined with Bayesian statistics, we found that both the PSE and uncertainty estimates had good reliability.
Comparison with existing method(s)
Current methods assessing static lower limb proprioception do so within a single joint, in non-weight bearing positions, and rely heavily on memory. One exception assessed static lower limb proprioception in standing but did not measure reliability and contained confounds impacting participants’ judgments, which we experimentally controlled here.
Conclusions
This efficient and reliable method assessing lower limb proprioception will aid future mechanistic understanding of locomotor adaptation and serve as a useful tool for basic and clinical researchers studying balance and falls.
Description
This article was originally published in Journal of Neuroscience Methods. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.109875. © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Keywords
proprioception, position sense, lower limb, psychophysics, bayesian adaptive, algorithm, bayesian statistics
Citation
Wood, Jonathan M., Susanne M. Morton, and Hyosub E. Kim. “A Reliable and Efficient Adaptive Bayesian Method to Assess Static Lower Limb Position Sense.” Journal of Neuroscience Methods 392 (May 15, 2023): 109875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.109875.