Thursday 12 August 2010

The effects of Nintendo Wii exercise training in adults with cystic fibrosis

The effects of Nintendo Wii exercise training in adults with cystic fibrosis
Author : Hall, K. Peasey, M. Wood, M. Cobb, R. Bell, S. C. Kuys, S.
JOURNAL OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS
2010, VOL 9; SUPP/1, pages S71

Thursday 5 August 2010

The Utility of a Video Game System in Rehabilitation of Burn and Nonburn Patients: A Survey Among Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Practitioners

Fung V, So K, Park E, Ho A, Shaffer J, Chan E, Gomez M.

From the St John's Rehab Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

J Burn Care Res. 2010 Jul 12.

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Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate perceptions of occupational therapists and physiotherapists on the use of Nintendo Wii in rehabilitation. Occupational therapists and physiotherapists in a rehabilitation hospital trialed four Wii games that addressed physical movement, balance, coordination, and cognitive performance. Then, they completed an opinion survey on the utility of Wii in rehabilitation. The results were compared between burn care therapists (BTs) and nonburn care therapists, using chi with a P < .05 considered significant. The participation rate was 79% (63/80), and they agreed that Wii was easy to set up (71%), operate (68%), and safe to use (76%). Participants agreed that Wii would be beneficial in outpatient (76%) and inpatient (65%) settings and that it could improve treatment compliance (73%). Participants recommended 15 to 30-minute Wii intervention (59%) daily (81%) and twice per week (43%). Participants believed that neurologic (71%), trauma (68%), burn (59%), and musculoskeletal (49%) patients would benefit from Wii intervention but not cardiac (43%) or organ transplant patients (18%). Participants believed that outcomes using Wii could be measured reliably (49%), and skills learned while playing could be transferable to daily function (60%). The significant differences between BTs and nonburn care therapists' perceptions are that BT-treated younger patients (21-40 years vs >60 years, P < .05) and BT favored the therapeutic benefit of Wii in rehabilitation (93% vs 58%, P = .02), specifically in burn rehabilitation (85% vs 39%, P = .001). Occupational therapists and physiotherapists favored the use of Wii in rehabilitation as an adjunct to traditional therapy because it is therapeutic, engaging, and may increase patient participation in rehabilitation. More

Brain activity in goal-directed movements in a real compared to a virtual environment using the Nintendo Wii.

Baumeister J, Reinecke K, Cordes M, Lerch C, Weiss M.

Exercise & Brain Lab, Institute of Sports Medicine, Department of Exercise & Health, University of Paderborn, Warburger Str. 100, 33098 Paderborn, Germany. jochen@sportmed.upb.de

Neurosci Lett. 2010 Aug 30;481(1):47-50. Epub 2010 Jun 25.

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Abstract
Low budget virtual environments like the Nintendo Wii increased in popularity and may play a role in motor learning related to sports and exercise. But nothing was known about the comparability of cortical activity of motor tasks in real and virtual environments. The aim of the study was to examine cortical differences between real and Wii based virtual sports performances using the golf putt as a model. Ten male golfers (26.0 +/- 0.7 years; 81.8 +/- 5.6 kg; 184.5 +/- 6.0 cm; handicap 30.0+/-10.0; 2.9+/-1.0 years of golf experience) were asked to putt for 3 min in random order in the real and the virtual Wii condition. A rest in sitting position (3 min) followed each performance. The score and cortical activity (EEG) were recorded continuously. The participants performed with a significant better score in the real condition (p < or = 0.01). Compared to virtual putting Theta spectral power showed a significant increase during real performance at F3 and F4 (p < or = 0.05). Significantly increased Alpha-2 power was demonstrated during real putting compared to the virtual putting performance at P3 (p < or = 0.05). The findings suggested that putting performance and brain activity was influenced by the choice of a real or virtual environment. The results were discussed based on the concept of the working memory where increased frontal Theta power indicated higher focused attention and higher Alpha-2 power was inversely related to the quantity of sensory information processing in the real putting compared to the virtual condition. 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. More

Lean on Wii: physical rehabilitation with virtual reality Wii peripherals.

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2010;154:229-34.

Anderson F, Annett M, Bischof WF.

Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. frasera@cs.ualberta.ca

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Abstract
In recent years, a growing number of occupational therapists have integrated video game technologies, such as the Nintendo Wii, into rehabilitation programs. 'Wiihabilitation', or the use of the Wii in rehabilitation, has been successful in increasing patients' motivation and encouraging full body movement. The non-rehabilitative focus of Wii applications, however, presents a number of problems: games are too difficult for patients, they mainly target upper-body gross motor functions, and they lack support for task customization, grading, and quantitative measurements. To overcome these problems, we have designed a low-cost, virtual-reality based system. Our system, Virtual Wiihab, records performance and behavioral measurements, allows for activity customization, and uses auditory, visual, and haptic elements to provide extrinsic feedback and motivation to patients.

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Nintendo Wii video-gaming ability predicts laparoscopic skill

Badurdeen S, Abdul-Samad O, Story G, Wilson C, Down S, Harris A.

University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Box 111, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2SP, UK.

Surg Endosc. 2010 Aug;24(8):1824-8. Epub 2010 Jan 28.

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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Studies using conventional consoles have suggested a possible link between video-gaming and laparoscopic skill. The authors hypothesized that the Nintendo Wii, with its motion-sensing interface, would provide a better model for laparoscopic tasks. This study investigated the relationship between Nintendo Wii skill, prior gaming experience, and laparoscopic skill.

METHODS: In this study, 20 participants who had minimal experience with either laparoscopic surgery or Nintendo Wii performed three tasks on a Webcam-based laparoscopic simulator and were assessed on three games on the Wii. The participants completed a questionnaire assessing prior gaming experience.

RESULTS: The score for each of the three Wii games correlated positively with the laparoscopic score (r = 0.78, 0.63, 0.77; P < 0.001), as did the combined Wii score (r = 0.82; P < 0.001). The participants in the top tertile of Wii performance scored 60.3% higher on the laparoscopic tasks than those in the bottom tertile (P < 0.01). Partial correlation analysis with control for the effect of prior gaming experience showed a significant positive correlation between the Wii score and the laparoscopic score (r = 0.713; P < 0.001). Prior gaming experience also correlated positively with the laparoscopic score (r = 0.578; P < 0.01), but no significant difference in the laparoscopic score was observed when the participants in the top tertile of experience were compared with those in the bottom tertile (P = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest a skill overlap between the Nintendo Wii and basic laparoscopic tasks. Surgical candidates with advanced Nintendo Wii ability may possess higher baseline laparoscopic ability. More

Wednesday 4 August 2010

Neuropsychological Testing Through a Nintendo Wii® Console

Gamberini L, Cardullo S, Seraglia B, Bordin A.

University of Padova, Department of General Psychology, Padova, Italy. luciano.gamberini@unipd.it

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2010;154:29-3

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Abstract
In recent years, videogames have demonstrated their positive effects in the psychological treatments and cognitive training of the old population. In this paper we present a pilot study in which a group of elderly people in an old people's home was requested to play a set of cognitive tasks administered through a popular videogames console, the Nintendo Wii. The results obtained by comparing the Wii cognitive games with traditional paper and pencil tests are described and discussed to orient further improvements.

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