Measuring cervical range of motion with gyroscope/accelerometer eyeglasses (JINS MEME) in persons with and without neck pain

Context: Neck pain is common in the general population. Active cervical spine range of motion (ACROM) is often measured in the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of neck pain. However, commonly used measurement tools have been deemed inaccurate or impractical. The Cervical Range of Motion (CROM) Instrument, which uses inclinometers and a magnetic reference, has demonstrated high reproducibility and validity in the measurement of ACROM, however, its practicable use is suboptimal due to its large dimensions. The JINS MEME eyeglass is a lightweight and compact wearable device that contains gyroscope and accelerometer electrodes capable of detecting body motion offering an alternative means of measuring ACROM. Aims: The primary aim of this study is to validate ACROM measurements using the JINS MEME eyeglasses in comparison to the CROM Instrument. The secondary aim is to investigate the variable range of motion patterns between individuals with neck pain (NP group) versus asymptomatic individuals (AS group). Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional, clinical measurement, and reliability study. Subjects and Methods: Seven neck pain and 14 asymptomatic individuals underwent ACROM measurements with the JINS MEME and CROM Instrument concurrently. Statistical Analysis Used: Intraclass correlation coefficient was used to determine inter- and intra-rater reliability of the JINS MEME and CROM Instrument. Mann–Whitney's U-test was used to assess differences between the two groups (NP group vs. AS group) in ACROM. Results: Using the JINS MEME eyeglasses, we observed excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability for nearly all ACROM directions (cervical spine flexion, extension, and lateral bending) except for rotation which was considered poor. ACROM was decreased in all directions for neck pain patients when measured by both devices. Conclusions: The JINS MEME eyeglasses showed excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability for all ACROM movements except for cervical rotation. Comparing the AS group and NP group, the ACROM of the NP group was significantly decreased compared to that of the AS group in all cervical spine directions, similar to findings in previous studies. With the exception of the measurement of cervical rotation, the JINS MEME eyeglasses demonstrated similar accuracy to the CROM Instrument in the assessment of ACROM in both the NP and AS groups.