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

## TL;DR

A wearable SmartVest with smartphone feedback improved posture during rehabilitation tasks for stroke patients in a single session.

## Contribution

A pilot evaluation of the Postural SmartVest's effectiveness in post-stroke motor rehabilitation using affordable smartphone-based multisensory feedback.

## Key findings

- SmartVest feedback increased upright posture time and event frequency significantly.
- Task completion time decreased with SmartVest feedback.
- No significant subgroup differences were found for age, sex, or stroke characteristics.

## 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 (p<0.001), an increase in the frequency of upright posture events (p<0.001), and a decrease in the total task time (p=0.038). No significant subgroup differences were found for age, sex, lateralization, or stroke chronicity. Regression models did not identify significant predictors of improvement.