The navigation system for evaluation of motor function in the elderly based on the evaluations of predictive control and feedback control

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K01496
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Komatsu University (2018-2020); Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science (2017)
• Principal Investigator: Lee Jongho 公立小松大学, 保健医療学部, 教授 (40425682)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 老年学 / 予測制御とフィードバック制御

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed the navigation system for evaluation of motor function in the elderly based on the evaluation of outputs from predictive and feedback (FB) controllers. By using this system, we evaluated the change in motor function with aging from young subjects in their 20s to elderly subjects in their 70s. In particular, We found that the predictive control deteriorated from the middle-aged subjects, and that the component of microsteps, which is a symptom of Parkinson’s disease, increased significantly at the elderly subjects. Overall, we found that our proposed system allows us to quantitatively analyze not only the decline in predictive control of the cerebellum but also the functional decline of the basal ganglia with aging.

Free Research Field

人間医工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

我々の研究は、人間の運動制御メカニズムに対して「人間の運動は予測制御とフィードバック制御によって行われるし、加齢と共にこの２つの運動制御器の精度や割合が変わって行く」ことを実験的に検証したことに学術的な意義がある。また、我々の研究から構築したデータベースに基づいて高齢者に対する運動機能障害の早期発見や神経疾患の予備群を特定できるシステムとして社会に貢献できると考えられる。