Potential for wearable sensor-based field-deployable diagnosis and monitoring of mild traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Studies have shown that wearable commercial off-the-shelf sensors, such as accelerometers, inertial measurement units, and heart monitors, can distinguish between individuals with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and uninjured controls. However, there is no consensus on which metrics derived from wearable sensors are best to use for objective identification of mTBI symptoms. The primary aim of this scoping review was to map the state of knowledge of wearable sensor-based assessments for mTBI, based on previously published research. Data sources included Web of Science and PubMed. Original peer-reviewed articles were selected if mTBI was clinically diagnosed, an uninjured control cohort was included, and data collection used at least one digital sensor worn on the body. After screening 507 articles, 21 studies were included in the analysis. Overall, the studies identified multiple wearables-derived physiological metrics that differ between individuals with mTBI and uninjured controls. Some metrics associated with static balance, walking tasks, and postural changes to initiate an autonomic nervous system response were shown to support diagnosis of mTBI in retrospective studies with acceptable to outstanding accuracy. Further studies are needed to formulate standard protocols, reproduce results in large heterogeneous cohorts in prospective studies, and develop improved models that can diagnose mTBI with sufficient sensitivity and specificity in targeted populations.