Kinetic and Kinematic Capture of Peripheral Impairments for the Objective Assessment of Neurological Disorders

This thesis investigates the potential to use automated versions of common peripheral limb tests to evaluate ataxia-related disability with regard to peripheral dysfunction. A novel device called the Ataxia Instrumented Measurement-Cup (AIM-C) was proposed capable of sensing certain kinematic and kinetic parameters of interest to quantify impairment levels, particularly while participants are engaged in daily activities. The findings pointed to the objective assessment of severity and disease progression while correlating with clinical scales.