Introduction
Tremor is a condition that affects the lives of many people in the United States and abroad. Tremor is defined as an involuntary rhythmic movement of muscles (Lazaro & Ramos, 2018). The condition causes a significant bother for patients, as it makes them unable to perform simple everyday tasks, such as raising a spoon, threading a needle, or drinking a glass of water. Worldwide, the prevalence of essential tremor is 1.33% for all ages (Louis & McCreary, 2021). However, the risk of developing tremor increases with age. Studies report that almost 6% of people aged between 60 and 65 and more than 8% of people aged 65 and above have tremor (Louis & McCreary, 2021). Tremor is also a symptom of numerous conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, dystonic tremor, resting tremor, action tremor, cerebellar tremor, and psychological disorders (Lazaro & Ramos, 2018). Thus, therapists all over the world have been trying to find solutions to minimize morbidity associated with tremor.
This report focuses on different solutions for addressing tremor. In particular, the paper provides a review of anti-tremor devices with a focus on anti-tremor gloves. Additionally, the paper discusses anti-tremor software that improves the ability of patients with tremor to use the computer mouse.
Overview of Devices for Tremor
The first anti-tremor device was developed in 1991 by William D. Hall (Somisetti et al., 2020). The device consisted of a gyroscope that was attached to a hand of a patient. The gyroscope was driven by an electromotor and powered by two AA batteries. While the device proved its effectiveness, it could not be worn all the time, as it was too heavy. Moreover, patients were unable to wash their hands as it would affect the motor (Somisetti et al., 2020). As a result, in 1998, another device was developed that used dampers to compensate for tremor movements (Somisetti et al., 2020). The primary purpose of the dampers was to convert the angular velocity of the wrist to rectilinear velocity. However, the major drawback of the device was that the tremor movements were not always in the same direction, which affected the effectiveness of the device (Somisetti et al., 2020).
In the 21st century, there have been numerous developments that used various methods of controlling tremors, such as motors, dampers, springs, electromagnets, sensors, microcontrollers, dynamic vibration absorbers, and combinations of different methods. The majority of these devices were attached to the hand to reduce tremor. However, there was also a group of other devices, such as anti-tremor pens, spoons, and forks. Somisetti et al. (2020) described fourteen different classes of anti-tremor devices of varying complexity. While all of them confirmed their effectiveness, their use was associated with limitations and discomfort for patients.
Anti-Tremor Glove Description
One of the simplest devices utilized to reduce tremor was developed in 2015 by a licensed occupational therapist, Krista Madere (Read-Steadi, n.d.). The inventor was always passionate about improving the quality of life of her patients and helping them regain control of their hands affected by tremor. As a result, Read-Steadi® anti-tremor glove was developed. Read-Steadi glove uses weights to control the vibrations of patients’ hands (Somisetti et al., 2020). Even though there were a large number of utensils and wearable devices available for patients with tremor to reduce morbidity associated with tremor, they could not be used all the time. Utensils, such as special pens, forks, and spoons, were task-specific. Wearable devices were difficult to customize, too costly, or not comfortable to wear. Read-Steadi® was developed to overcome the limitations of previous devices.
The glove uses a simple concept of adding weight to a patient’s hand to reduce the sensitivity to tremor. The effect is similar to the one when a person is holding a hand of a patient. The glove is easily customizable by adding or taking away weight from a patient’s hand. The device uses small non-toxic metal cylinders hidden under the glove. Thus, depending on the attached weight, the glove can help in controlling tremor of different levels of severity. According to the company’s official website, Read-Steadi glove can help even with a severe tremor in older patients. The device has been marketed for seven years, and the reviews were positive. The central benefits of the device are ease of use, universality, and lightweight. Moreover, the glove has an esthetic design and comes in two colors, black and white. Figure 1 below demonstrates how Read-Steadi® looks on a hand.
Improving Patients’ Lives
The glove has received good reviews from both patients and physicians. Patients reported that they could return to their daily routine without outside help. For instance, older people reported cases of being able to feed themselves without outside help using spoons, knives, and forks (Read-Steadi, n.d.). Other elderly patients reported that the device helped them to start using their smartphones, which improved their ability to communicate with their relatives and improved their mood and overall quality of life (Read-Steadi, n.d.). Some patients stated that Read-Steadi gloves allowed them to exercise and play sports that they were unable to play before due to tremor, such as tennis (Read-Steadi, n.d.). Others stated that the glove was helpful for playing musical instruments, such as the guitar and the piano (Read-Steadi, n.d.). In summary, older patients reported significant improvements in their overall activity, mood, and autonomy. Moreover, the reviews emphasized that it was a cost-effective solution to the problem of tremor.
The practitioners also reported positive outcomes of their patients associated with using the anti-tremor glove. In particular, neurologists stated that, in some cases, Read-Steadi was a valid replacement for Deep Brain Stimulation to treat tremor (Read-Steadi, n.d.). Therapists also reported effective use of the glove for rehabilitation from essential tremor. Thus, the effectiveness of the device is confirmed by both patients and practitioners.
The SteadyMouse Project
The SteadyMouse project is a software product designed to assist people with tremor. The project started in 2005 as a freeware project. SteadyMouse v.1.3 is still available free of charge for anyone willing to use it. However, in 2014, SteadyMouse v.2.0 was released, signifying a new era in the software assisting people with tremor in their PC use. Today, SteadyMouse 2 costs $43 for all the future updates of the software. Additionally, users can pay $127 for a lifetime subscription for all updates and future versions of the program, such as SteadyMouse 3 and other projects of the company.
The central feature of the software is its ability to filter tremor. The user can use the automatic setting of the software or finetune it for personal needs. The software allows changing the intensity of filtering, setting the mouse speed, setting a hold period before a mouse can move, and preventing accidental mouse clicks. A beginner can select between seven pre-set filters, while an advanced user can customize the filter as needed (SteadyMouse, n.d.). The software also has the ability to assist with targeting icons, which is crucial for people with tremor problems.
SteadyMouse 1.3 was downloaded and tested for personal evaluation. Experiments demonstrated that the software prevented minor hands shaking. However, when the intensity of tremor was increased, the ability software did not adapt to changes in the behavior, and it had to finetuned manually. Moreover, SteadyMouse 1.3 does not have the accidental clicking prevention feature like SteadyMouse 2, which did not allow for testing the feature. The fact that the software does not adapt to the intensity of tremor may be a significant flaw. According to Louis and McCreary (2021), tremor may intensify due to frustration or excitement. As a result, the user will not be able to change the setting of the program due to tremor.
Despite some flaws, the software received excellent reviews of users. A brief internet search revealed no negative feedback from using the software. Users with tremor all over the world state that the software has been useful for working and playing games. The fact that the software is available in several languages allows the company to find its customers around the globe. In summary, the SteadyMouse project is a significant contribution to improving the quality of life of people with tremor.
Conclusion
Tremor is a significant bother for older adults around the globe. It negatively affects patients’ quality of life, autonomy, and mood. However, there are assistive devices and software that can help to reduce morbidity from the condition. There are numerous wearable devices used as motors, dampers, springs, electromagnets, sensors, microcontrollers, dynamic vibration absorbers, and combinations of different methods. ReadiSteadi has proven to be a cost-efficient solution for the problem of tremor in older adults. Additionally, software, like SteadyMouse, can help people with tremor to work with the computer.
References
Lazaro, G., & Ramos, M. (2018). Damper Glove for Hand Tremor. In Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists (Vol. 2).
Louis, E. D., & McCreary, M. (2021). How Common is Essential Tremor? Update on the Worldwide Prevalence of Essential Tremor.Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements, 11, article 28.
Read-Steadi. (n.d.). THE ​READ-STEADI® STORY.
Somisetti, K., Jain, C., Chugh, A., & Charaya, N. (2020). A Comparative Study of Anti Tremor Devices. In 2020 5th International Conference on Communication and Electronics Systems (ICCES) (pp. 1202-1207). Web.
SteadyMouse Project (n.d.). SteadyMouse.