New research published in the journal BMC Geriatrics found that playing rehabilitative video games alongside standard physical therapy treatment could provide additional benefits to patients working to overcome the challenges of Parkinson’s disease than they’d receive by pursuing standard physical therapy treatment alone. Moreover, researchers say video game based therapy is a better add-on to standard physical therapy than motor imagery exercises, which is a technique where the individual visualizes the steps they’d need to perform complex movements without physically making any of the actions.
For the study, researchers used the Nintendo Wii Fit system to see how Parkinson’s patients would respond to different levels of care. The Nintendo Wii Fit system includes a board that players stand on that tracks how weight shifts in response to certain prompts on a television screen. 60 patients with Parkinson’s disease were enrolled in the study and grouped into one of three sections:
- Physical therapy only
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation video game treatment
- Physical therapy and motor imagery treatment
“No study has yet examined these three groups in one study to obtain a candid picture of which therapeutic regime is actually effective or creates sustained effects,” researchers said.
PT Study Results
Researchers tracked participants over the course of 16 weeks, during which time they received at least 33 40-minute sessions. Their progress was noted at the beginning and end of the program, as well as at regular intervals over the course of 16 weeks.
Motor symptom severity was measured with Part 3 of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The bigger the drop in scores, the more improvement that was made. Here’s a closer look at the beginning and ending scores of the average patient in each group”
- Video game group – 33.95 to 18.15 points
- Imagery group – 32.7 to 19.9 points
- PT-only group – 33.05 to 24.85 points
Similar results were seen in Part 2 of UPDRA, which measured the ability of the participant to independently carry out a range of day-to-day tasks.
“The current study found that the [Wii video game] group showed greater improvements in functional outcomes than the motor imagery group and routine [physical therapy] alone,” said researchers, who added that rehabilitative video games could be a beneficial complement to a standard physical therapy program for individuals battling Parkinson’s disease.
We have a number of different therapy techniques in our arsenal to help you overcome whatever physical challenges you are facing, and we want to find the right program for you. For more information about treating common issues caused by the progression of Parkinson’s disease, or to talk with a specialist about managing a variety of other physical issues, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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