A Motion-based System to Evaluate Infant Movements Using Real-time Video Analysis

2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22610014
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Children studies (Studies of environment on children)
• Research Institution: Prefectural University of Hiroshima
• Principal Investigator: OTUKA Akira 県立広島大学, 保健福祉学部, 教授 (50280194)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SHIMATANI Koji 県立広島大学, 保健福祉学部, 准教授 (00433384)
• Project Period (FY): 2010 – 2012
• Keywords: 新生児 / 自発運動 / 画像解析システム

Research Abstract

This study proposed a system to measure and evaluates infant movements quantitatively. The system calculates eight evaluation indices from feature quantities of motion extracted from binarized images of infants without markers using a single video camera. This enables doctors to understand changes in the movement conditions of infants through real-time monitoring of video images, feature quantities and eva luation indices. We conclude that the proposed method enables the extraction of similar information on infant movements through three-dimensional analysis. Moreover, 39 indices of movement for 11 LBWIs and 16 FTIs were calculated, and the number of indices greater than ±2SD from the mean values for the FTIs was counted for use in motor function evaluation. The resultsdiffered significantly at the 5% level between the FTIs and LBWIs. Furthermore, in this paper, we outlined how all infants can be classified into three groups based on the calculated indices. In particular, the index values for the ratio of activity in left and right body motion (I6) and the ratio of the amount of motion in upper and lower body motion (I8) for the four LBWIs were higher than the mean value for the FTIs. This result leads us to the conclusion that movement strength and activity time on the left side of the body were larger than those on the right side of the body for these experimental LBWIs.