Equipamento de biofeedback para tratamento fisioterápico em pacientes portadores de pé equino

Abstract

This work describes the development of a biofeedback device to be used by physiotherapists during treatment of patients with equinus foot. Normally the equinus foot is related to one of the sequelae of a stroke and is characterized by difficulty in motor control of the affected limb, often resulting in limitations on sensitivity. The equipment was built on the concept of biofeedback, presenting to the patient, in real time, information related to the intensity of the forces applied to the lower limbs. The equipment consists of flexible force sensors accommodated in a pair of sandals, connected to a microcontrolled electronic circuit. The whole processing is performed by an MSP430, and the communication is done by radio signals through a CC1101 module. The data is presented in a software interface on a laptop computer at a refresh rate of 20 Hz. The software has many features to meet both the needs of physiotherapists as patients. From the point of view of patients, the interface was designed to be simple and objective, facilitating the understanding of force variations that change dynamically at the exact moment when the sensors are pressed. Visual signs and sound were also used to emphasize to patients when the goals established for their treatment has been reached. Other features were developed specifically for physicaltherapists, giving them the option to customize the biofeedback interface according to the needs of each patient, and also allowing the storage of all data transferred by the sensors for further analysis. A prototype was developed and tested on 20 volunteers over 10 sessions of physical therapy, 10 patients with equinus foot dysfunction, and 10 normal people to compose a control group. At the end of the treatment period, the data were analyzed by session, according to the average forces, the maximum values reached, the accumulated sums and Berg assessments. The results revealed an evolution in all patients, some of them in a greater degree and others in lower degree of progress.