Machine Learning Based Walking Aid Detection in Timed Up-and-Go Test Recordings of Elderly Patients

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2020 Jul:2020:808-811. doi: 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9176574.

Abstract

Frailty and falls are the main causes of morbidity and disability in elderly people. The Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test has been proposed as an appropriate method for evaluating elderly individuals' risk of falling. To analyze the TUG's potential for falls prediction, we conducted a clinical study with participants aged ≥ 65 years, living in nursing homes. We harvested 138 TUG recordings with the information, if patients used a walking aid or not and developed a method to predict the use of walking aids using a Random Forest Classifier for ultrasonic based TUG test recordings. We achieved a high accuracy with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 96,9% using a 20% leave out evaluation strategy. Automated collection of structured data from TUG recordings - like the use of a walking aid - may help to improve fall risk tools in future.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Accidental Falls / prevention & control
  • Aged
  • Frailty*
  • Humans
  • Machine Learning
  • Mass Screening
  • Walking*