The Effect of a Passive Shoulder Exoskeleton and Muscle Fatigue on Occupational Work Performance

In this investigation, participants perform simulated occupational work during which the task performance will be logged. This research investigates the effect of peripheral fatigue and a passive shoulder exoskeleton on the task performance.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Fatigue; Physical Stress; Muscle Strain
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Fatigue protocol; Device: No exoskeleton support; Device: Passive shoulder exoskeleton; Behavioral: No peripheral fatiguing protocol

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 35
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Brussel, Belgium, 1050
    • Lichamelijk Opvoeding en Kinesitherapie

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy (based on ParQ questionnaire)
• right handed

Exclusion Criteria:

• current musculoskeletal disorder
• history of recurrent musculoskeletal discorder

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Peripheral fatigue - No support; peripheral fatigue induced and overhead work performed without exoskeleton support	Behavioral: Fatigue protocol; Participants complete a fatiguing protocol; Device: No exoskeleton support; Exoskeleton is worn, but no support provided
Experimental: Peripheral fatigue - Exoskeleton support; peripheral fatigue induced and overhead work performed with exoskeleton support	Behavioral: Fatigue protocol; Participants complete a fatiguing protocol; Device: Passive shoulder exoskeleton; Participants complete overhead working task with support of exo
Experimental: No fatigue - No support; peripheral fatigue induced and overhead work performed without exoskeleton support	Device: No exoskeleton support; Exoskeleton is worn, but no support provided; Behavioral: No peripheral fatiguing protocol; Participants complete no fatiguing protocol
Experimental: No fatigue - Exoskeleton support; peripheral fatigue induced and overhead work performed with exoskeleton support	Device: Passive shoulder exoskeleton; Participants complete overhead working task with support of exo; Behavioral: No peripheral fatiguing protocol; Participants complete no fatiguing protocol

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Work accuracy	The number of errors is tracked	During 2 minutes overhead work
Work pace	Time to completion is tracked	During 2 minutes overhead work

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Surface electromyography	Cometa (Mini Wave) sensors with Ambu (BlueSensor) electrodes will be used to collect electromyographic data conform the SENIAM guidelines. The muscles that will be monitored are: deltoideus anterior, deltoideus medialis, deltoideus posterior, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, brachioradialis, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, trapezius descendens, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, flexor carpi radialis, serratus anterior on the right side of the body. The locations of the sensors will be prepared by shaving, abrasion with sandpaper and cleaning with alcohol. To allow relative expression of muscle activity, maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) of each muscle that is being monitored will be collected. The average of the maximal activity out of the best two out of three contractions will serve as the MVC value. The outcomes will be the activities of the muscles (as a percentage of the MVC) monitored during the tests.	During 2 minutes overhead work
Kinematic smoothness of movement	Inetrial Measurement Units will be used to track how smoothly the overhead work is completed. Smoothness is determined by the Spectral Arc method.	During 2 minutes overhead work
Workload	NASA TLX questionnaire for workload	After 2 minutes of overhead work

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Force output	measure output force during elevation of the arms in a 45° flexed shoulder angle	before and after 4 minute during fatigue inducing protocol

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Vrije Universiteit Brussel
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Romain Meeusen, PhD, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 20, 2021
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): July 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 26, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 19, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): May 25, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 25, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 19, 2022
• Last Verified: May 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: effort; ergonomics; peripheral fatigue; task performance; overhead work
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Fatigue
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2021_E4W_SH_PER

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Data will be published in scientific journal. No IPD will be published.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No