Introduction

Non-Invasive Neuromuscular Assessment (NINA)

Projects within the cluster Non-Invasive Neuromuscular Assessment aim to increase understanding of the underlying problems in people with disturbed motor control and to develop new methods and assessment techniques. The emphasis is on complaints resulting from damage to the central neurological system.

An important aspect of the work of the cluster is the development of instruments to map human motor control, in particular sensors and signal analysis techniques to record muscle activity and details of movements. Application area’s are spasticity, epilepsy, and chronic pain. Another important area of expertise is the analysis of gait, which encompasses both the (ambulatory) clinical analysis of movement and research into neuromuscular control of walking.

The cluster has earned an international reputation as coordinator of the European SENIAM project in which European recommendations for Surface Electromyography (SEMG) have been developed. Current activities focused on new techniques are developed to replace some of the invasive techniques currently used. Within these techniques the SEMG is unraveled in order to produce both detailed information about the neuromuscular control and about the properties of the muscle.

(Research) Projects

Healthnavigator

HealthNavigator
Navigation, coaching and motivation on touristic paths to improve physical fitness of chronic heart patients and increase their confidence to exercise

Regular exercise training is important for chronic heart patients, as this can reduce further deterioration of the disease, prevent readmission and increase quality of life. Chronic heart disease limits patients’ physical capabilities and one of the problems that patients face is the insecurity about their capabilities and the lack of confidence of staying within physical limits. Consequently, many patients tend to become too careful and avoid exercise all together...

FUSION - Instant Analysis of Human Movement
Development of ‘Click On and Play’ 3D ambulatory motion monitoring and feedback

The amount of musculoskeletal disorders is growing. Simultaneously, the need for objective assessment of results of rehabilitation and physical therapy is increasing.

Project partners of FUSION target the development of 3D instant ambulatory monitoring and feedback of motor function applicable by each therapist / ergonomist / professional athlete without needing specific a priori knowledge....

IS-ACTIVE
Person-centric healthcare solution for patients with chronic conditions

The objective of IS-ACTIVE is to devise a person-centric healthcare solution for patients with chronic conditions – especially elderly people – based on the recent advances in wireless inertial sensing systems. The project emphasizes the role of the home as care environment, by providing real-time support to patients in order to monitor, self-manage and improve their physical condition according to their specific situation....

Smart Surroundings
Development and demonstration of core architectures and frameworks for future ambient systems

Ambient systems are networked embedded systems integrated with everyday environments and supporting people in their activities. These systems will create smart surroundings for people to facilitate and enrich daily life and increase productivity at work.The approach to enable ambient systems depends highly on distributed, reliable, secured information systems that can evolve and adapt to radical changes in....

Exozorg
Remote monitoring and Remotely Supervised Training

There is a considerable pressure on both the quality and the quantity of our health care system. The quality of health care is continuously challenged by the rapid development of technology which can contribute to a better quality of diagnosis and treatment but often at higher cost and not easily incorporated in the present health care system. Probably more important is the pressure due to the increasing....

SENIAM
The development of European recommendations for Surface Electromyography

The SENIAM project (Surface ElectroMyoGraphy for the Non-Invasive Assessment of Muscles) was a European concerted action in the Biomedical Health and Research Program (BIOMED II) of the European Union. Surface ElectroMyoGraphy SEMG is a technique which is used for many applications in area's like Neurology, Rehabilitation, Orthopeadics, Ergonomics, Sports, etc. Although its basics have already....