Abstract
The application of miniature motion sensors (accelerometers) to study the macro- (gross) and micro- (barely discernible) activities associated with human motion has been termed actigraphy. In countless human sleep studies, actigraphy has mostly been applied to distinguish between when a person is asleep or awake. Use of sleep/wake information has been applied to the development of mathematical models that aim to predict aspects of cognitive performance. However, wrist-mounted actigraphy potentially has many more applications to cognitive and physical assessment beyond sleep/wake discrimination. For example, studies reveal that micro-miniature accelerometric sensors can discriminate heart rate, breathing, and life cessation (death) via actigraphically measured biovibration signals. This paper briefly reviews the development of wrist-mounted actigraphy; presents the data showing wrist-monitored ballistocardioimpulses, respirations, and life-signs signals; discusses the application of sophisticated signal processing for new clinical, operational, and cognitive-assessment-related applications; and concludes with recommendations for further research for demodulating the complex actigram signal.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | C64-C74 |
| Journal | Aviation Space and Environmental Medicine |
| Volume | 76 |
| Issue number | 7 II |
| State | Published - Jul 2005 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Actigraphy
- Cognition
- Coma
- Life signs
- Operational performance
- Physiological status monitoring
- Sleep
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health