Quantitative Evaluation of Postural SmartVest’s Multisensory Feedback for Affordable Smartphone-Based Post-Stroke Motor Rehabilitation

Abstract

Accessible tools for post-stroke motor rehabilitation are critically needed to promote recovery beyond clinical settings. This pilot study evaluated the impact of a posture correction intervention using the Postural SmartVest, a wearable device that delivers multisensory feedback via a smartphone app. Forty individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis participated in a single supervised session, during which each patient completed the same four-phase functional protocol: multidirectional walking, free walking toward a refrigerator, an upper-limb reaching and object-handling task, and walking back to the starting point. Under the supervision of their therapists, each patient performed the full protocol twice—first without feedback and then with feedback—which allowed within-subject comparisons across multiple metrics, including upright posture duration, number and frequency of posture-related events, and temporal distribution. Additional analyses explored associations with demographic and clinical variables and identified predictors through regression models. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann–Whitney U tests showed significant improvements with feedback, including an increase in upright posture time ((Formula presented.)), an increase in the frequency of upright posture events ((Formula presented.)), and a decrease in the total task time ((Formula presented.)). No significant subgroup differences were found for age, sex, lateralization, or stroke chronicity. Regression models did not identify significant predictors of improvement.