Real-time Behavioural Gait Analysis Platform
Number of Students: 2
Guides : Hardik J Pandya
Interested Company: Versatile Equipments Private Limited
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder caused by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. It is clinically characterized by tremors, bradykinesia, postural instability, and rigidity. Ten million people are estimated to be affected by PD worldwide, with significant social, health, and financial burdens. The treatment involves medication at the early stages and Deep brain stimulation (DBS) at the advanced stages. During DBS, electrical pulses are applied to the deep brain targets of basal ganglia for controlled stimulation of neurons. A gait analysis will be performed using a custom-designed rodent catwalk system (Figure) to evaluate the effectiveness of stimulation on the rat PD model. The students are required to design and develop a treadmill for behavioural analysis integrated with gait analysis software using image processing and machine learning. The catwalk system will be designed to motivate the rodent to walk through the catwalk and record the gait during walking. One or more wide-angle cameras will be used to capture the gait. Gait analysis assesses how the body moves, usually by walking or running, from one place to another. Computer-supported gait analysis has proven to be effective for comprehensively assessing gait changes in rodent models of neurodegenerative and neurological disorders. The analysis will involve observation of walking speed and cadence, as well as significant alterations in the gait parameters such as stride length, initial dual stance, paw print position, step cycle, swing phase of the step cycle, stand index, phase dispersion, print length, and print area from the video feed. The students will learn Electronic system design and development, API development for gait data acquisition and processing in real time, and Android/Windows-based GUI development for showing the outcomes in real time. The student will get the opportunity to interact and work with a lead neurosurgeon.
