A new centre which allows scientists and clinicians to track precise human movements as part of vital work into Parkinson’s Disease and other neurological disorders has opened in Hobart.
The only one of its kind in Tasmania, the new HIMAC (Human Intelligent Movement Analysis Centre) features state-of-the-art equipment including eye tracking technology and a wireless motion capture system.
Funded through a $512,000 University of Tasmania Infrastructure Grant, HIMAC features some of the more technologically advanced equipment to precisely analyse human movements.
The twelve-camera Vicon system can precisely track a person’s movement and body position in 3-dimensional space at high speeds, via tiny markers attached to their bodies.
It is the same technology used in videogames and movies to turn actors into virtual avatars, digitising body movement with high precision.
Brain activity can be measured easily, using a technique called functional near infrared spectroscopy. Small infrared lights are positioned on the outside of the head and detectors measure the amount of light that is transmitted through brain tissue.
When your brain is busy, it needs more oxygen, which changes the amount of absorbed light.
“HIMAC will allow us to uncover insights into normal movement function, and also to detect the earliest changes to movements that occur in people affected by neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Essential Tremor, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease – of which present in distinct ways of moving,” Associate Professor Jane Alty, neurologist at the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, said.
Associate Professor Michele Callisaya from the University’s Menzies Institute for Medical Research said the centre will allow researchers to measure how hard parts of the brain are working when walking or doing other activities, which is not possible with standard brain scanning techniques.
“This can be useful to determine whether someone is needing to concentrate a lot on their walking, and potentially indicate they are at a higher risk of falls,” she said.
Dr Rebecca St George from the University’s School of Psychological Sciences said the new technology will help strengthen research outcomes.
“When brain imaging is combined with precise motion capture and muscle activity, we can start to really understand how the brain is controlling complex movements, and equally what subtle changes to our movements say about the function of our brain,” she said.
The Centre’s eye-tracking system measures precisely what a person's eyes are centred upon. It reveals exactly what they are looking at and for how long, with millisecond precision.
“As neurologists, we routinely examine people’s eye movements in clinic as many neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s, stroke and Multiple Sclerosis have subtle changes in the speed and accuracy of eye movements,” Associate Professor Jane Alty said.
“The new eye tracking technology in HIMAC will help us undertake exciting world-class research in a variety of different neurological disorders.”
HIMAC is supported by a strong collaboration between the University’s College of Health and Medicine, and College of Sciences and Engineering by taking movement analysis to the next level by applying advanced AI technologies.
Additional features of HIMAC include:
- Other integrated sensors at HIMAC measure muscle activation, grip strength, finger position, tongue strength, balance control and foot movement.
- High-powered computer system which facilitates the development of AI machine learning software to apply what we learn in the lab to smart devices that we all carry around in our pockets.
Image caption: Dennis Crawford (left) with Dr Bill Bennett, Senior Technical Officer at the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre