JP7004965B2 - Balance function training device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention mainly relates to an equilibrium function training device used for improving the capacity of the equilibrium function.

Patent Document 1 discloses a fall prevention training device that strengthens the muscle strength of the waist and lower limbs of a user who has boarded the slide plate by forcibly sliding the slide plate on the base. Conventionally, with the above device, the trainee has been able to strengthen the muscle strength necessary for maintaining the balance and improve the balance ability by maintaining the standing state against the sway of the center of gravity due to the slide of the boarded slide plate. ..

However, the balance ability involves not only the ability of the muscle group necessary for maintaining the balance, but also the so-called equilibrium function of recognizing the state of the balance of the body and the sway of the center of gravity. Equilibrium functions include somatic sensations such as muscle sensations that perceive muscle contraction and tension, joint sensations that perceive joint flexion and extension, and vestibular sensations that perceive anterior-posterior, up-down, left-right sway and rotation. It is made up of the coordination of vision, which consists of eye movements and eye movements.

For example, when the balance is usually lost, 1. 2. Contract the ankle muscles to prevent the movement of the center of gravity (ankle strategy). 2. Adjust the position of the center of gravity by the movement of the hip joint (hip strategy). 3. Lower your hips and lower your center of gravity to take a stable posture. The four patterns of movements of stepping out and supporting the foot prevent falls, but the above movements first require an equilibrium function for recognizing that the center of gravity has been shaken and muscle strength associated with the movements.

In general, elderly people cannot avoid the decrease in muscle strength due to aging, and in order to prevent this, training to prevent the decrease in muscle strength is carried out by using a strength training machine or walking training.

However, even if the muscle strength can be trained, the perception of imbalance is delayed due to the deterioration of the equilibrium function due to aging and the abnormality of the equilibrium function due to stroke, and the perception itself is impossible. In some cases, it may lead to a fall without demonstrating.

In addition, there are cases in which the equilibrium function becomes abnormal, such as in a patient with dizziness, causing dizziness in a specific posture or movement, and falling. As described above, patients with dizziness cause dizziness in specific postures and movements, and patients act to avoid those postures and movements in their daily lives. As a result, the degree of dizziness and dizziness worsens, and the symptoms worsen, resulting in a virtuous cycle.

In addition to the diminished ability of equilibrium function, there are also falls caused by visual stimuli. For example, when getting on and off the escalator, just before getting on, you see the escalator in motion with the floor not moving, or conversely, just before getting off, you see the floor with the escalator in motion and not moving. And it may upset the balance. This is because the equilibrium function is impaired due to the difference between the somatosensory and vestibular sensations and the visual sense, and the eye movements associated with the sudden change or increase in the visual stimulus, leading to a fall.

In addition, even if you try to improve your balance ability by using walking training or a conventional fall prevention training device like a patient suffering from Parkinson's disease, the so-called "freezing foot" movement itself becomes difficult due to the symptom. In some cases, the training cannot be carried out sufficiently.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-27712

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, such as a person who does not have a disease such as an elderly person but whose balance function has deteriorated with aging, a stroke patient, a dizziness patient, and a person who has a balance function by visual stimulation. For various patients such as those with abnormalities and patients with Parkinson's disease, the ability of equilibrium function is improved by simultaneously stimulating the somatic sensation, vestibular sensation, and vision related to equilibrium function and acquiring the coordination of each sensation. It is an object of the present invention to provide an equilibrium function training device capable of performing the intended equilibrium function training.

The present invention provides the following means for achieving the above object.

(1) The equilibrium function training device according to the present invention is a riding part provided so that the trainee can ride, a riding part moving mechanism for moving the riding part, and measurement for measuring a change in the posture of the trainer. A unit, a video output unit, an audio output unit, a visual stimulus means for generating a visual stimulus to be applied to the trainee and outputting to the video output unit, and an auditory stimulus to be applied to the trainee. The auditory stimulus means that is generated and output to the audio output unit and the calculation processing are performed according to the measurement result by the measurement unit to generate a visual stimulus indicating the change in the posture of the trainee and output it to the video output unit or the display unit. It is equipped with a visual posture teaching means to perform arithmetic processing according to the measurement result by the measuring unit, and an auditory posture teaching means to generate an auditory stimulus indicating a change in the trainer's posture and output it to the voice output unit . When the visual stimulus generated by the visual stimulus means is output to the video output unit, the auditory posture teaching means changes the auditory stimulus according to the magnitude of the physical behavior of the trainee. When it is output to the voice output unit and the auditory stimulus generated by the auditory stimulating means is output to the voice output unit, the visual stimulus changed according to the magnitude of the physical behavior of the trainee is said. It is characterized in that the visual posture teaching means outputs to the video output unit or the display unit .

According to this configuration, the trainee has a configuration for moving the boarded part and a configuration for applying a visual stimulus in one device, so that the trainee resists the sway of the center of gravity due to the movement of the boarded part. By looking at the visual stimuli while maintaining the standing state, it is possible to simultaneously stimulate the somatosensory, vestibular sensations, and vision, and training to improve the equilibrium function by acquiring coordination between each sensation. can.

In addition, from the measurement results of the measurement unit attached to the trainer's body, changes in posture such as when the behavior of the body (such as shaking of the head) is large and the movement of the body during training are during or after training. By teaching to the trainer or the training commander who directs the training, the trainer or the training commander can grasp the behavior of the body, set a goal and train to reduce the behavior of the body during the training. Therefore, it becomes an effective equilibrium function training. In addition, you can measure the balance ability, check the effect of training, and create a training menu. In addition, the motivation of trainees can be improved, and effective training can be performed. In addition, by maintaining the standing state against the sway of the center of gravity due to the movement of the riding part, the muscle strength required for maintaining the balance can be strengthened.

In addition , the change in the trainer's posture is measured by the measurement unit during training, and from the measurement results, the time when the body behavior (head shaking, etc.) is large, and the posture such as body movement during training. By teaching the change to the trainer and the training commander who directs the training during training, the trainer and the training commander can grasp the behavior of the body, and the trainer aims to reduce the behavior of the body. It will be set up and trained, and the training leader will be able to give accurate instructions to the trainee during training, resulting in effective equilibrium function training. For example, when the pacing visual stimulus or the disturbance visual stimulus is output to the trainer by the visual stimulus means, the auditory posture teaching means is used so as not to interfere with the output of the stimulus to the trainer by the visual stimulus means. As the behavior of the body increases, the auditory stimulus (for example, controlling such as shortening the sounding cycle, increasing the volume, and increasing the scale) is changed and output to the trainee during the training .

In addition , when the pacing auditory stimulus is output by the auditory stimulus means, the visual posture teaching means increases the physical behavior so as not to interfere with the output of the stimulus to the trainer by the auditory stimulus means. , The visual stimulus (for example, the blinking cycle is short, the area of the visual stimulus is large, the movement of the visual stimulus with respect to the reference value is controlled, etc.) is changed and output to the trainee during training. Further, if the trainer is not affected, the training conductor can grasp the change in the trainer's posture during the training by the visual posture teaching means or the auditory posture teaching means regardless of the output of each stimulating means. The visual stimuli and auditory stimuli described here are stimuli for teaching changes in posture, and are different from disturbance visual stimuli, pacing visual stimuli, and pacing auditory stimuli.

In addition, the trainee and the training conductor can grasp the change in the posture of the trainer by each posture teaching means after the training, and after the training, the effect of the training can be confirmed and the training menu can be created, which is an effective balance. It becomes functional training.

(2) In the present invention, the visual stimulus generated by the visual stimulus means includes a disturbance visual stimulus and / or a pacing visual stimulus, and the disturbance visual stimulus blinks alternately up and down or left and right in the visual field and is an impulse. A sacked visual stimulus that causes sexual eye movement, a past visual stimulus that moves back and forth in the visual field while lit up and down or left and right, and a sliding follow-up eye movement, and an eye shake that moves up and down or left and right in the visual field. The pacing visual stimulus has at least one of the vertical and horizontal flowing visual stimuli that induces the visual stimulus and the anterior-posterior flowing visual stimulus that approaches or moves away from the visual field and induces the divergent movement. It is characterized by being a visual stimulus that repeats periodically with a constant rhythm.

According to this configuration, various visual stimuli can be output, and the equilibrium function for the visual stimuli can be trained. If a saccade visual stimulus is given, for example, in daily life, assuming the case of performing a rapid eye movement that captures an object in the fovea centralis, the posture while quantitatively controlling the conditions such as the speed and distance of the eye movement. Equilibrium function training for instability can be performed in combination with the movement of the riding part. In particular, effective training is possible for trainees who lose their balance due to a defect in the equilibrium function due to rapid eye movements.

In addition, if pasto visual stimuli are given, for example, in daily life, assuming that an eye movement that keeps capturing a certain object in the fovea centralis is performed, while quantitatively controlling conditions such as the speed and distance of the eye movement. Equilibrium function training for eye movements associated with changes in visual stimuli can be performed in combination with the movement of the riding part. In particular, by following the target, it is possible to effectively train the trainee who loses balance due to a defect in the equilibrium function.

In addition, if a visual stimulus for flowing up, down, left and right is given, for example, when the eyeball follows the movement of the train when gazing at a running train, the eyeball movement (nystagmus) of returning to the original gazing point is repeated. Assuming, it is possible to carry out equilibrium function training for eye movements associated with changes in visual stimuli in combination with the movement of the riding part while quantitatively controlling conditions such as the speed of eye movements. In particular, nystagmus enables effective training for trainees who lose their balance due to a defect in the balance function.

In addition, if a front-back flow visual stimulus is given, for example, in a shopping mall or the like, the speed of eye movements, etc. Equilibrium function training for eye movements associated with changes in visual stimuli can be performed in combination with the movement of the riding part while quantitatively controlling the above conditions. In particular, the convergence and divergence movement enables effective training for trainers who lose their balance due to a defect in the equilibrium function.

In addition, by conducting training that combines the application of disturbance visual stimuli and the movement of the riding part, for example, in sports, by integrating eye movements with physical sensations such as somatosensory and vestibular sensations, trainers ( It can be expected to improve the performance of sports athletes) and return to sports from injuries and breakdowns.

In addition, for example, by giving the trainee a pacing visual stimulus that periodically repeats the movement of the riding part and the blinking by the visual stimulus at a constant rhythm, the symptoms of freezing legs can be alleviated even in patients with Parkinson's disease, and the symptoms of the riding part can be reduced. It will be possible to act against the sway of the center of gravity due to movement, and it will be possible to continue the equilibrium function training, and it will be possible to improve the ability of the equilibrium function, which was not possible until now.

(3) The present invention is characterized in that the auditory stimulus generated by the auditory stimulating means is a pacing auditory stimulus that is periodically repeated at a constant rhythm.

According to this configuration, for example, by simultaneously giving the trainee an auditory stimulus that periodically repeats a single note by a pacing auditory stimulus and a movement of the riding part, the symptoms of freezing feet are alleviated even in Parkinson's disease patients. , It becomes possible to act against the sway of the center of gravity due to the movement of the riding part, and it becomes possible to continuously carry out the equilibrium function training, and it becomes possible to improve the ability of the equilibrium function, which could not be carried out until now.

( 4 ) In the present invention, the visual posture teaching means is characterized in that the change in the posture of the trainee is displayed on a chart.

According to this configuration, the change in the posture of the trainee can be seen on the chart instead of the numerical value measured by the measuring unit, so that the change in the posture can be easily grasped.

( 5 ) In the present invention, the riding part moving mechanism moves the riding part back and forth in the horizontal direction, and is characterized in that the amplitude and period related to the movement of the riding part can be adjusted.

According to this configuration, since the horizontal reciprocating motion of the riding part can be adjusted, the training intensity can be adjusted, and the training can be performed according to the trainee.

( 6 ) The present invention is characterized in that the video output unit is installed vertically and / or parallel to the horizontal reciprocating direction of the riding unit.

According to this configuration, since the video output unit is installed in the direction perpendicular to and / or parallel to the horizontal reciprocating direction of the riding unit, it is parallel to the condition that the trainee moves horizontally reciprocating vertically to the visual stimulus. You can select the conditions for horizontal reciprocating movement, increase the training conditions, and carry out training tailored to the trainee.

( 7 ) The present invention is characterized in that the video output unit is configured to be able to move up and down by means of raising and lowering means.

According to this configuration, since the video output unit is configured to be able to move up and down, for example, the video output unit can be installed at an optimum height position according to the height of the trainee's eyes.

According to the present invention, for various patients such as elderly patients who do not have a disease but whose equilibrium function deteriorates with aging, stroke patients, dizziness patients, equilibrium dysfunction patients, and Parkinson's disease patients. We provide a balance function training device that can perform balance function training for the purpose of improving the ability of balance function by simultaneously stimulating somatosensory, vestibular sense, and vision related to balance function and acquiring the coordination of each sense. can do.

It is a perspective view of the equilibrium function training apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the control of the equilibrium function training apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. This is an example of a saccade visual stimulus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of pasto visual stimulus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of a vertical / horizontal flowing visual stimulus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of an anteroposterior flowing visual stimulus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is an example in which the change in the posture of the trainee according to the first embodiment of the present invention is displayed on a chart. It is a front view at the time of training of the equilibrium function training apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, the equilibrium function training device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

The equilibrium function training device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the equilibrium function training device 1. The balance function training device 1 includes a riding unit 2 provided so that the trainee can ride, a riding unit moving mechanism 3 for moving the riding unit 2, a video output unit 10 for displaying a visual stimulus to the trainee, and training. A voice output unit 20 that outputs an auditory stimulus to a person, a measurement unit 4 that measures changes in the trainee's posture, a control unit 7 that controls the operation of each configuration, a setting unit 8 that sets operation conditions, and an operation. It is composed of a display unit 9 for displaying conditions and a display unit 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the spatial axes of the X, Y, and Z axes are defined, and the directions of the respective arrows are the +-direction of the X-axis, the +-direction of the Y-axis, and the +-direction of the Z-axis.

The rider 2 provided so as to be movable on which the trainee rides is moved by the rider movement mechanism 3. The riding unit moving mechanism 3 is controlled by the control unit 7 according to the operating conditions set by the setting unit 8. The operating conditions are the moving direction, moving speed, moving distance, rotation direction, rotation speed, rotation angle of the riding unit 2, the period when the movement is repeated periodically, the amplitude, and the like. The operating conditions are displayed on the display unit 9. In the present embodiment, the riding unit 2 reciprocates in the horizontal direction (Y-axis +-direction in FIG. 1). Although not shown, the riding unit moving mechanism 3 uses a motor as a power source, converts the rotation of the motor into linear motion by a known technique by a crank type slide mechanism, and moves the riding unit 2. By changing the rotation speed of the motor, the cycle of the reciprocating movement of the riding unit 2 is adjusted, and by changing the length of the crank, the amplitude related to the horizontal movement is adjusted.

The control unit 7 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the control of the equilibrium function training device 1. The control unit 7 controls the operations of the riding unit moving mechanism 3, the visual stimulating means 5, which will be described later, the auditory stimulating means 19, the measuring unit 4, the visual posture teaching means 25, and the auditory posture teaching means 26. The operating conditions of each mechanism can be set by the user in the setting unit 8. Further, the setting contents of the riding unit moving mechanism 3, the stimulating means 5, 19, the measuring unit 4, and the posture teaching means 25, 26 are displayed by the display unit 9. Each operation is controlled to stop the operation as soon as the emergency stop switch 16 is pressed. Although the setting unit 8 and the display unit 9 are configured by the control box 28 which is the same housing as the control unit 7 in FIG. 1, they may be configured by another housing.

The visual stimulus means 5 will be described. The visual stimulus given to the trainee is generated by the visual stimulus means 5 and output to the video output unit 10. The video output unit 10 is installed in front of the trainee. In this embodiment, it is a general TV monitor. The video output unit 10 is configured to have a size that covers the trainer's field of view, and is provided with an elevating means 11 so that the video output unit 10 can be moved up and down according to the height of the trainer's eyes and training conditions. , The video output unit 10 is moved up and down by operating the lift switch 12.

In this embodiment, two video output units 10 are installed. One is installed so that the screen 10a is perpendicular to the horizontal movement direction of the riding unit 2 (Y-axis +-direction in FIG. 1), and the other is the horizontal movement direction of the riding unit 2 (Y-axis + in FIG. 1). The screen 10a is installed so as to be parallel to the-direction). By doing so, when the trainee faces the Y-axis + direction in FIG. 1 and gets on the riding part 2, the trainee can output a visual stimulus while shaking the trainee in the front-back direction, and the trainee can output the visual stimulus while the trainee faces the X-axis in FIG. When the trainee faces the + direction and gets on the riding unit 2, the visual stimulus can be output while the trainee is shaken in the left-right direction, and the training can be carried out under the condition that the trainee's shaking direction is different.

The visual stimulus means 5 generates a saccade visual stimulus, a past visual stimulus, an up / down / left / right flowing visual stimulus, a front-back flowing visual stimulus, and a pacing visual stimulus, which are disturbance visual stimuli described later.

Disturbance visual stimuli will be described. Disturbance visual stimuli are visual stimuli that visually stimulate equilibrium function. For example, saccade visual stimulus, pasto visual stimulus, up / down / left / right flowing visual stimulus, and front-back flowing visual stimulus, which will be described later. By outputting these visual stimuli to the trainee at the same time as the movement of the riding part 2, somatosensory, vestibular sensation, and visual coordination are acquired, and the ability of the equilibrium function can be improved.

The saccade visual stimulus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows the saccade visual stimulus of the present embodiment output to the video output unit 10, and FIG. 3A is a visual stimulus in which two circles 23a and 23b displayed on the left and right sides of the screen 10a blink alternately. be. The trainee is instructed to pay close attention to the circles 23a and 23b. By doing so, the trainee is forced to perform rapid left-right eye movements (saccades (impulsive eye movements)) while capturing the visual stimuli in the fovea. FIG. 3B is a visual stimulus in which two circles 23a and 23b displayed above and below the screen 10a instead of left and right blink alternately. In the present embodiment, two circles are displayed on the left and right or up and down, but the display position is not limited to the up and down and left and right, and may be randomly moved in the screen 10a.

A trainee who loses balance due to a defect in equilibrium function due to rapid eye movement can perform equilibrium function training for impulsive eye movement. Optimal operation for the trainee by quantitatively setting the operation conditions of the saccade visual stimulus such as the interval between the circles 23a and 23b blinking left and right and the blinking cycle in the setting unit 8 according to the physical condition of the trainee. It becomes possible to train under the conditions. The shape of the visual stimulus is not limited to a circle, and any shape and color that the trainee can recognize blinking may be used.

Next, the past visual stimulus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows the past visual stimulus of the present embodiment output on the screen 10a of the video output unit 10. FIG. 4A is a visual stimulus that moves left and right while the circle 24 is lit, and the circle shown by the broken line is a circle. , Shows the afterimage of the circle 24. Instruct the trainee to watch the circle 24. By doing so, the trainee is forced to perform a sliding follow-up eye movement while keeping the visual stimulus in the fovea. FIG. 4B is a visual stimulus that moves up and down while the circle 24 is lit. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the user moves while being lit left and right or up and down, but the moving direction is not limited to up and down and left and right, and the screen 10a may be randomly moved.

By following the eye, the trainee who loses balance due to a defect in the equilibrium function can be trained for the sliding follow-up eye movement. By quantitatively setting the operation conditions of the past visual stimulus such as the interval between the circles 24 that move left and right and the movement cycle in the setting unit 8 according to the physical condition of the trainee, the optimum operation conditions for the trainee can be obtained. It will be possible to train. The shape of the visual stimulus is not limited to a circle, and any shape and color that the trainee can recognize the movement may be used.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the vertical and horizontal flowing visual stimuli will be described. FIG. 5 shows the vertical / horizontal flowing visual stimulus of the present embodiment output to the video output unit 10, and FIG. 5A is a visual stimulus in which the striped pattern moves left and right. Instruct the trainee to look at the center of the screen. By doing so, the movement of the striped pattern in the visual field induces nystagmus, forcing the trainee to perform rapid follow-up eye movements. FIG. 5B is a visual stimulus in which the striped pattern moves up and down instead of left and right.

The trainee who may fall due to nystagmus can quantitatively set the speed of moving left and right, the interval of the striped pattern, etc. in the setting unit 8 for the vertical and horizontal flowing visual stimuli, so that the trainee can quickly Training for follow-up nystagmus is possible. Although it is a striped pattern in this embodiment, it may be a movement such as a polka dot or a landscape, and it may be a visual stimulus that continuously moves up, down, left, and right to induce nystagmus.

Next, the anterior-posterior flowing visual stimulus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows the front-back flowing visual stimulus of the present embodiment output to the video output unit 10, and FIG. 6A shows a striped pattern provided symmetrically so as to have a depth in the front direction or the rear direction. It is a visual stimulus that moves continuously to. Instruct the trainee to look at the center of the screen. By doing so, when the striped pattern moves, it becomes a visual stimulus that the striped pattern approaches or moves away from the visual field, and the trainee is induced to perform a divergence movement. FIG. 6B is a visual stimulus in which a striped pattern provided vertically symmetrically so as to have depth rather than left-right symmetry moves continuously in the front-back direction.

The trainee who may fall due to the congestion divergence movement can quantitatively set the speed of moving back and forth, the interval of the striped pattern, etc. in the setting unit 8 for the front-back flowing visual stimulus. Training for congestion divergence movements becomes possible. Although it is a striped pattern in the present embodiment, it may be a stimulus in which a polka dot, a back-and-forth movement of a landscape, or a swirl pattern that makes a sense of depth rotate, or a visual stimulus that induces a convergence and divergence movement.

Eye movements in daily life are so-called complex visual stimuli that can be output to the trainee in this embodiment, such as immediately moving the gazing point to an object in a different place or smoothly following a moving object. As an application, this training device can be used to train the basic movements of eye movements in daily life, with each visual stimulus being independent and quantitatively changing conditions.

Next, the pacing visual stimulus will be described. The pacing visual stimulus is a visual stimulus in which a circular visual stimulus is periodically blinked at a constant rhythm in the center of the screen 10a of the video output unit 10. The shape of the blinking visual stimulus is not limited to a circle, and any shape and color that the trainee can recognize the blinking may be used. Moreover, it is not limited to blinking, it is sufficient if the change can be recognized.

Patients with Parkinson's disease may fall because their feet do not move sufficiently when they try to maintain their balance due to the symptom of "freezing feet". It is known that the symptoms can be improved by periodically giving visual and auditory stimuli to the freezing feet and by calling out like "1 ・ 2 ・ 1 ・ 2 ...". ..

In the conventional fall prevention training device, a Parkinson's disease patient boarded as a trainer, and even if the balance was lost due to the slide of the riding part 2, the balance could not be maintained by the freezing legs, and there was a risk of falling. I couldn't continue. However, in the equilibrium function training device 1, by outputting a pacing visual stimulus to the trainer in response to the sway of the center of gravity due to the movement of the riding part 2, the freezing foot is improved, the movement to maintain the balance becomes possible, and the training is continued. It is possible to train the equilibrium function. Since the riding unit 2 of the present embodiment periodically reciprocates horizontally, the pacing visual stimulus is also output to the trainee in synchronization with the cycle.

The auditory stimulating means 19 will be described. The auditory stimulus given to the trainee is generated by the auditory stimulus means 19 and output by the voice output unit 20. In the present embodiment, the audio output unit 20 is a speaker 20a of a general TV monitor provided in the video output unit 10, and is installed on the left and right of the lower end of the video output unit 10, but the trainer and the training command The installation location of the speaker 20a is not limited to this, as long as the sound can be output to the person.

In the present embodiment, when the trainee faces the Y-axis + direction in FIG. 1 and gets on the riding unit 2, the trainee can output an auditory stimulus from the front of the trainee while shaking the trainee in the front-back direction, and the trainee can output the auditory stimulus. When the trainee is turned to the X-axis + direction in FIG. 1 and boarded on the riding part 2, the auditory stimulus can be output from the front of the trainee while shaking the trainer in the left-right direction, and the training is performed under the condition that the trainee's shaking direction is different. Can be carried out.

The auditory stimulating means 19 produces a pacing auditory stimulus, which will be described later.

The pacing auditory stimulus will be described. The pacing auditory stimulus is an auditory stimulus in which a single note is periodically repeated at a constant rhythm from the voice output unit 20. As described above in the explanation of the pacing visual stimulus, this pacing auditory stimulus enables the patient suffering from Parkinson's disease to train the equilibrium function by outputting the output to the trainer in synchronization with the horizontal reciprocating motion of the riding part 2.

The measuring unit 4 will be described. The measuring unit 4 measures the change in the posture of the trainee during training. In the present embodiment, the measuring unit 4 is composed of an accelerometer, and a head accelerometer 4a, a lumbar accelerometer 4b, and a knee accelerometer 4c are installed on the trainer's head, waist, and knee, respectively. A riding accelerometer 4d is installed in 2. The riding accelerometer 4d is installed to grasp the movement status of the riding part 2 on which the trainee is on board. By measuring and teaching changes in the posture of the trainee, it is possible to grasp the balance ability, set the optimum training conditions, and confirm the effect of the training. The display may be displayed on the display unit 9, the video output unit 10, or a display other than the training device by using the measurement result. In FIG. 1, the riding accelerometer 4d and its wiring are shown, but the other accelerometers are not shown. Further, in the present embodiment, the measuring unit 4 uses an accelerometer, but it suffices if it can measure the change in the posture of the trainee, and it may be a center of gravity sway meter, a foot pressure distribution measurement, a motion capture, a floor reaction force meter, or the like. good. Further, the installation location of the measuring unit 4 is not limited to this embodiment.

The balance function training device 1 is provided with a posture teaching means that performs arithmetic processing according to the measurement result by the measurement unit 4 and teaches the change in the posture of the trainer during training to the trainer and the training conductor. Posture teaching means include visual posture teaching means 25, which is described later, and auditory posture teaching means 26, which is taught by hearing.

The visual posture teaching means 25 will be described. The visual posture teaching means 25 visually teaches the change in the posture of the trainee during training to the training conductor during training. From the measurement results of the measuring unit 4, training is given to visual stimuli (for example, shortening the blinking cycle, increasing the area of the visual stimulus, changing the color, etc.) indicating that the behavior of the body (swaying of the head, etc.) is large. By outputting to the conductor, the training conductor can grasp the behavior of the body, and the training conductor can inform the trainer that the posture is changing, so that effective equilibrium function training can be performed. Become.

Further, the visual posture teaching means 25 performs arithmetic processing according to the measurement result by the measurement unit 4 described above, and teaches the change in the posture of the trainee during training to the trainer and the training conductor after the training. As a result, the trainer and the training commander can output the movement of the body during training to the trainer and the training commander when the body behavior (head shaking, etc.) is large. It is possible to grasp the behavior, set a goal and train to reduce the behavior of the body at the next training, and it will be an effective equilibrium function training. In addition, you can measure the balance ability, check the effect of training, and create a training menu. In addition, the motivation of trainees can be improved, and effective training can be performed. In the present embodiment, the visual posture teaching means 25 is output by the video output unit 10, but the display may be the display unit 9, or the measurement result may be used to display on a display other than the training device.

Further, the visual posture teaching means 25 can also be displayed as a chart as a method of teaching the change in the posture of the trainee. The chart will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 shows a display example of the chart. The chart outputs the result of calculation processing according to the measurement result by the measurement unit 4 to the video output unit 10 in chronological order. The chart is output so that the circle 18 moves in the left-right direction due to the acceleration change in the three-dimensional axial direction of each accelerometer. For example, Ch. When 1 is the head accelerometer 4a, the change in acceleration of the head accelerometer 4a in the three-dimensional direction is shown by the X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis on the vertical axis and the + -direction acceleration on the right side of the center on the horizontal axis. The left side of the center is displayed so that the acceleration is in the-direction (the direction of the three-dimensional axis and the + -direction are as shown in FIG. 1). The figure shows Ch. Although the display is halfway through 2, the results of all channels can be displayed by scrolling downward, or all channels may be displayed at once.

Since the change in acceleration is measured, if the portion to which the accelerometer is attached moves, the circle 18 will move from the center to the left or right. By checking the change in posture during training on the chart, trainers and training leaders can evaluate the balance ability and analyze, for example, the direction and tendency of agitation when the balance is lost, in the future. It can be used for treatment planning and training planning, enabling more effective training.

In the present embodiment, the chart is output by the video output unit 10, but the display may be displayed by the display unit 9, and the measurement result is used to display the chart on a display other than the training device regardless of whether it is during training or after training. May be good.

The auditory posture teaching means 26 will be described. The auditory posture teaching means 26 teaches the trainee and the training conductor the change in the posture of the trainee during training by hearing. From the measurement results of the measuring unit 4, the trainee or the training leader can perform auditory stimuli (for example, shorten the sounding cycle, increase the volume, increase the scale, etc.) indicating that the body behavior (head shaking, etc.) is large. By outputting to, the trainer trains to reduce the behavior of the body, and the training commander informs the trainer that the posture is changing, so that it becomes an effective equilibrium function training. When the trainee is given a visual stimulus by the visual stimulus means 5, the auditory posture teaching means 26 can be used. The auditory posture teaching means 26 can teach a trainer or a training conductor a change in posture while giving a visual stimulus.

The training method of the equilibrium function training apparatus 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 omits the wiring to the control box 28, each measurement unit 4, and the space axis in the X-axis direction. As an embodiment of the training, the riding portion 2 is reciprocated in the horizontal direction (Y-axis +-direction in FIG. 1). As for the stimulating means for the trainee 17, the past visual stimulus is output from the visual stimulating means 5, the auditory posture teaching means 26 is used for the posture teaching means during training, and the visual posture teaching means is used for the posture teaching means after training. It is assumed that the chart display is selected by the means 25. The trainee 17 faces the Y-axis + direction in an upright position and gets on the riding unit 2. After boarding, the belt 15 is attached to the body and attached to the main body frame 6 via the belt holder 14 for safety so as not to fall over. The belt holder 14 is rotatably fixed to the main body frame 6 so that the belt 15 follows the boarding direction of the trainee 17.

After the trainee 17 gets on the riding unit 2, the elevating switch 12 is operated so that the video output unit 10 is at the eye level of the trainee 17, and the elevating means 11 is used for adjustment. Although the elevating means 11 is not shown, it is configured to elevate by an electric actuator.

Next, the setting unit 8 is operated to set the training time and the operating conditions of the riding unit moving mechanism 3. For the riding part moving mechanism 3, a cycle of reciprocating motion is set. The longer the cycle, the slower the riding part 2 moves, so that the training intensity is weak. The shorter the cycle, the faster the riding part 2 moves, and the stronger the training intensity.

The setting unit 8 is operated, the visual stimulus means 5 is selected, the past visual stimulus is selected, and the left-right direction is selected as the direction of movement while the circle 24 is lit. Next, a cycle of moving while the circle 24 is lit in the left-right direction is set. The longer the cycle, the slower the circle 24 moves, so the training intensity is weak, and the shorter the cycle, the faster the circle 24 moves, and the stronger the training intensity.

The setting unit 8 is operated to select the auditory posture teaching means 26 from the posture teaching means. From the measurement result of the measurement unit 4, the auditory posture teaching means 26 increases the volume when the body behavior (head shaking, etc.) is large, and outputs the volume to the trainee 17 from the voice output unit 20.

Next, in order to measure the change in the posture of the trainee 17 during training, the measuring unit 4 is installed on the body of the trainer 17 and the riding unit 2. The measuring unit 4 is composed of an accelerometer, and a head accelerometer 4a, a waist accelerometer 4b, and a knee accelerometer 4c are installed on the head, waist, and knee of the trainee 17, respectively, and the riding unit 2 has an accelerometer. A riding accelerometer 4d is installed, and each is attached with a band or the like. The riding accelerometer 4d is installed to grasp the movement status of the riding part 2 on which the trainee 17 is on board.

After setting all the operating conditions, press the start switch (not shown) to start training. In FIG. 8, the riding unit 2 reciprocates horizontally in the front-back direction (Y-axis + − direction) of the trainee 17. During the horizontal reciprocating movement of the riding unit 2, the past visual stimulus is displayed on the video output unit 10. The trainee 17 pays close attention to the past visual stimulus displayed on the video output unit 10 while balancing the posture so as to maintain the posture against the movement of the moving riding unit 2. This can simultaneously stimulate somatosensory, vestibular sensation, and vision, and can be trained to improve equilibrium function.

During the training, from the measurement result of one of the accelerometers (in the example, the head accelerometer 4a), the change in the posture of the trainee 17 is sent to the video output unit 10 as an auditory stimulus by the auditory posture teaching means 26. It is transmitted to the trainee 17 from the provided audio output unit 20. Specifically, when the change in the posture of the body is large, increasing the volume makes it easier for the trainee 17 to recognize that the behavior of the body is large, and the goal is to keep the volume low. It will be trained to reduce the change in posture, and it will be an effective equilibrium function training. In addition, the change in posture is also reported to the training conductor. It is possible to train the equilibrium function for visual stimuli without notifying the trainer 17 and the training conductor of the change in the posture of the trainer 17 during the training.

In the present embodiment, the visual stimulus is output while the riding unit 2 is moving, but only the visual stimulus may be output according to the symptom of the trainee 17 and the item to be trained.

During the training, the body of the trainee 17 is held by the belt 15, but the handrail portion 13 is provided in case the posture cannot be unexpectedly held during the training. It is not held during the training, but when it feels dangerous, the handrail portion 13 is held to maintain the balance and continue the training. Further, by holding the handrail portion 13, it is possible to get on and off safely.

In addition, an emergency stop switch 16 is provided in case of some emergency or when training is interrupted. The emergency stop switch 16 is provided at a position that the trainee 17 can reach during training, and by pressing the switch, the riding part moving mechanism 3 stops operating, the riding part 2 is fixed, and each stimulating means and Each posture teaching means also stops.

After the training time set before the training elapses and the training device is stopped, the visual posture teaching means 25 performs arithmetic processing according to the measurement result obtained by measuring the change in the posture of the trainee 17 during the training by the measuring unit 4. The result is output to the video output unit 10 in chronological order as a chart. By confirming this chart with the trainer 17 and the training commander, the evaluation of the balance ability, for example, the tendency when the balance is lost, is analyzed, and it is used for the future treatment plan and the training plan. This completes the training.

In the first embodiment, the configuration including the auditory stimulating means 19 is described, but the auditory stimulating means 19 may not be provided, and the trainee 17 stands up against the sway of the center of gravity due to the movement of the boarding portion 2. By observing the visual stimuli while maintaining the sensation, it is possible to simultaneously stimulate the somatosensory, vestibular sensations, and visual senses, and training to improve the equilibrium function can be performed.

If it is desired to carry out only the equilibrium function training for the visual stimulus, the riding part 2 may be fixed without being moved and the training may be carried out.

Further, the chart is output to the trainer 17 after the training, but may be output to the trainer 17 during the training, or is output for the training conductor to observe the change in the posture of the trainer 17 during the training. You may.

The present invention includes not only those who do not have the above-mentioned diseases such as the elderly but whose equilibrium function deteriorates with aging, stroke patients, dizziness patients, equilibrium dysfunction patients and Parkinson's disease patients, as follows. It can be widely applied to anyone. For example, a person who causes eye strain due to personal computer work, or a person who is physically tired or stressed by long hours of physical labor in a factory, will have abnormal balance function in the future. It can also be applied to those who may come. Similarly, by repeating the same sport (exercise) for a long period of time, the body will be overloaded and hurt, and the balance of the skeleton and muscles will be disturbed. It can also be applied to those who aim to recover the function of those whose balance function has deteriorated as a result of the collapse of sports injuries and to prevent the recurrence of sports injuries.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various other embodiments without departing from the spirit or main characteristics thereof. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects, and the scope of the present invention is shown in the claims and is not bound by the text of the specification. Further, all modifications and modifications that fall within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

1 Equilibrium function training device 2 Riding part 3 Riding part movement mechanism 4 Measuring part 4a Head accelerometer 4b Lumbar accelerometer 4c Knee accelerometer 4d Riding part accelerometer 5 Visual stimulation means 6 Main body frame 7 Control part 8 Setting part 9 Display Part 10 Video output part screen 10a
11 Lifting means 12 Lifting switch 13 Handrail 14 Belt holder 15 Belt 16 Emergency stop switch 17 Trainer 18 Yen 19 Auditory stimulating means 20 Audio output section 20a Speaker 23a Yen 23b Yen 24 Yen 25 Visual posture teaching means 26 Auditive posture teaching means 28 Control box

Claims (7)

A movable riding part on which the trainee rides,
A riding part moving mechanism that moves the riding part, and
A measuring unit that measures changes in the trainer's posture,
Video output section and
Audio output section and
A visual stimulus means for generating a visual stimulus to be given to the trainee and outputting it to the video output unit .
An auditory stimulus means for generating an auditory stimulus to be applied to the trainee and outputting the auditory stimulus to the voice output unit.
A visual posture teaching means that performs arithmetic processing according to the measurement result by the measurement unit, generates a visual stimulus indicating a change in the posture of the trainee, and outputs the visual stimulus to the video output unit or the display unit .
An auditory posture teaching means that performs arithmetic processing according to the measurement result by the measuring unit, generates an auditory stimulus indicating a change in the posture of the trainee, and outputs the auditory stimulus to the voice output unit.
Equipped with
When the visual stimulus generated by the visual stimulus means is output to the video output unit during the training, the auditory stimulus changed according to the magnitude of the physical behavior of the trainee is applied to the auditory posture teaching means. Outputs to the audio output unit, and when the auditory stimulus generated by the auditory stimulus means is output to the audio output unit, the visual stimulus changed according to the magnitude of the physical behavior of the trainee is applied. The visual posture teaching means outputs to the video output unit or the display unit.
A balance function training device characterized by that. The visual stimulus generated by the visual stimulus means is
With disturbance visual stimuli and / or pacing visual stimuli,
The disturbance visual stimulus is
A saccade visual stimulus that blinks alternately up and down or left and right in the visual field to make impulsive eye movements,
A past visual stimulus that reciprocates in the visual field while lit up and down or left and right to make a sliding follow-up eye movement,
Up / down / left / right flowing visual stimuli that move up / down or left / right in the visual field to induce nystagmus,
Among the anterior-posterior flowing visual stimuli that approach or move away from the visual field and induce converging and divergent movements,
Has at least one visual stimulus and
The pacing visual stimulus is a visual stimulus that repeats periodically with a constant rhythm.
The equilibrium function training device according to claim 1. The auditory stimulus generated by the auditory stimulating means is a pacing auditory stimulus that is periodically repeated at a constant rhythm.
The equilibrium function training apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The visual posture teaching means is
The change in the posture of the trainee is displayed on a chart.
The equilibrium function training device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the equilibrium function training device is characterized. The riding part moving mechanism reciprocates the riding part in the horizontal direction.
The amplitude and period related to the movement of the riding part can be adjusted.
The equilibrium function training device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the equilibrium function training device is characterized. The video output unit is installed perpendicularly and / or parallel to the horizontal reciprocating direction of the riding unit.
The equilibrium function training apparatus according to claim 5 . The video output unit is configured to be able to move up and down by means of raising and lowering.
The equilibrium function training device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the equilibrium function training device is characterized.

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