Video Game–Based Exercises for Balance Rehabilitation: A Single-Subject Design

• Published in: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation Vol. 87; no. 8; pp. 1141 - 1149
• Main Authors: Betker, Aimee L., Szturm, Tony, Moussavi, Zahra K., Nett, Cristabel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.08.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Balance; Biofeedback (psychology); Biological and medical sciences; Brain Injuries - rehabilitation; Cerebellar Neoplasms - rehabilitation; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Equipment Design; Exercise; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Movement; Neurology; Postural Balance - physiology; Posture; Pressure; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Rehabilitation; Stroke Rehabilitation; Therapy, computer-assisted; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Video Games; Exercise; Movement; Rehabilitation; Biofeedback (psychology); Balance; Pressure; Posture; Therapy, computer-assisted; Cerebellum; Physical exercise; Prognosis; Right; Cardiovascular disease; computer-assisted; Vascular disease; Regulation(control); Reeducation; Balance; Biofeedback (psychology); Exercise; Movement; Posture; Pressure; Rehabilitation; Therapy; Tumor; Ambulatory; Coupling; Hospital; Cerebrovascular disease; Human; Nervous system diseases; Stroke; Attention; Cerebral disorder; Foot; Case study; Video game; Central nervous system disease; Young adult; Biofeedback; Fall; Head trauma; Elderly
• ISSN: 0003-9993; 1532-821X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2006.04.010

Betker AL, Szturm T, Moussavi ZK, Nett C. Video game–based exercises for balance rehabilitation: a single-subject design. To investigate whether coupling foot center of pressure (COP)–controlled video games to standing balance exercises will improve dynamic balance control and to determine whether the motivational and challenging aspects of the video games would increase a subject’s desire to perform the exercises and complete the rehabilitation process. Case study, pre- and postexercise. University hospital outpatient clinic. A young adult with excised cerebellar tumor, 1 middle-aged adult with single right cerebrovascular accident, and 1 middle-aged adult with traumatic brain injury. A COP-controlled, video game–based exercise system. The following were calculated during 12 different tasks: the number of falls, range of COP excursion, and COP path length. Postexercise, subjects exhibited a lower fall count, decreased COP excursion limits for some tasks, increased practice volume, and increased attention span during training. The COP-controlled video game–based exercise regime motivated subjects to increase their practice volume and attention span during training. This in turn improved subjects’ dynamic balance control.