System and method for fall and/or concussion prediction

A fall and/or concussion prediction system comprising, in combination:

• a measurement assembly configured to receive a subject, the measurement assembly including:
• a first measurement surface for receiving a first portion of a body of a subject,
• a second measurement surface for receiving a second portion of a body of a subject,
• at least one first measurement device, the at least one first measurement device configured to sense one or more measured quantities and output one or more first signals that are generated based upon the subject's contact with the first measurement surface, and
• at least one second measurement device, the at least one second measurement device configured to sense one or more measured quantities and output one or more second signals that are generated based upon the subject's contact with the second measurement surface;
• a visual display device, the visual display device configured to display an interactive game, a virtual reality scenario, and/or an immersive graphic environment that is visible to the subject;
• and
• a data processing device operatively coupled to the first and second measurement devices of the measurement assembly and the visual display device, the data processing device configured to receive the one or more first signals that are generated based upon the subject's contact with the first measurement surface and compute one or more first numerical values using the one or more first signals, the data processing device being configured to receive the one or more second signals that are generated based upon the subject's contact with the second measurement surface and compute one or more second numerical values using the one or more second signals, the data processing device further configured to control the movement of a first manipulatable element of the interactive game, the virtual reality scenario, and/or the immersive graphic environment displayed on the visual display device by using the one or more first numerical values, and to control the movement of a second manipulatable element of the interactive game, the virtual reality scenario, and/or the immersive graphic environment displayed on the visual display device by using the one or more second numerical values, the data processing device additionally configured to quantify a subject's performance while playing the interactive game, or while interacting with the virtual reality scenario and/or the immersive graphic environment, using one or more performance parameters, and to assess the probability that the subject will fall and/or predict whether or not the subject has sustained a concussion by using the one or more performance parameters.

A method for fall and/or concussion prediction, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a measurement assembly configured to receive a subject thereon, the measurement assembly including:
• a surface for receiving at least one portion of a body of a subject, and
• at least one measurement device, the at least one measurement device configured to sense one or more measured quantities and output one or more signals that are generated based upon the subject's contact with the surface;
• providing a visual display device configured to display a scene of a first task that is visible to the subject;
• providing a data processing device operatively coupled to the at least one measurement device of the measurement assembly and the visual display device;
• positioning the subject on the measurement assembly;
• displaying the scene of the first task on the visual display device so that it is visible to the subject;
• instructing the subject to perform a first task, which relates to the scene on the visual display device, and a second task, which comprises one or more movements on the surface of the measurement assembly;
• sensing, by utilizing the at least one measurement device, one or more measured quantities and outputting one or more signals that are generated based upon the subject's contact with the surface of the measurement assembly;
• receiving, at the data processing device, the one or more signals that are generated based upon the subject's contact with the surface of the measurement assembly;
• computing, by using the data processing device, one or more numerical values from the one or more signals outputted by the at least one measurement device;
• quantitatively determining, by using the data processing device, a subject's performance during the first and second tasks, the assessment of the subject's performance of the second task being based at least partially upon the one or more numerical values, the subject's performance of the first task being quantitatively expressed in terms of one or more first performance values and the subject's performance of the second task being quantitatively expressed in terms of one or more second performance values;
• and
• determining the probability that the subject will fall and/or predicting whether or not the subject has sustained a concussion by using at least one of the one or more first and second performance values.