Validation of a robot serious game assessment protocol for upper limb motor impairment in children with cerebral palsy

BACKGROUND: The ROBiGAME project aims to implement serious games on robots to rehabilitate upper limb (UL) motor function in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Serious game characteristics (target position, level of assistance/resistance, level of force) are typically adapted based on the child's assessment before and continuously during the game (measuring UL working area, kinematics and muscle strength). OBJECTIVE: This study developed an UL robotic motor assessment protocol to configure the serious game. METHODS: Forty-nine healthy children and 20 CP children participated in the study. The clinical assessment consisted of the child's UL length and isometric force. The robot assessment consisted of the child's UL working area (WA), the UL isometric and isokinetic force in three directions and the UL kinematics during a pointing task toward targets placed at different distances. RESULTS: Results showed that WA and UL isometric force were moderately to highly correlated with clinical measures. Ratios between the UL isokinetic force generated on three directions were established. The velocity and straightness indexes of all children increased when they had to reach to targets placed more distant. CONCLUSIONS: This protocol can be integrated into different serious games in order to continuously configure the game characteristics to a child's performance.