Conventional physical therapy techniques have been shown to improve balance, mobility, and gait following neurological injury. Treatment involves training patients to transfer weight onto the impaired limb to improve weight shift while standing and walking. Visual biofeedback and force plate systems are often used for treatment of balance and mobility disorders. Researchers have also been exploring the use of video game consoles such as the Nintendo Wii Fit as rehabilitation tools. Case studies have demonstrated that the use of video games may have promise for balance rehabilitation. However, initial usability studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that the current commercial games are not compatible with controlled, specific exercise required to meet therapy goals. Based on focus group data and observations with patients, a game has been developed to specifically target weight shift training using an open source game engine and the Nintendo Wii Fit Balance Board. The prototype underwent initial usability testing with a sample of clinicians and with persons with neurological injury. Overall, feedback was positive, and areas for improvement were identified. This preliminary research provides support for the development of a game that caters specifically to the key requirements of balance rehabilitation. PDF Keywords balance training, game-based rehabilitation, video game, Wii Fit Balance Board Related articles View all related articles var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; <!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --> var addthis_config = {"data_track_addressbar":true,"ui_click":true}; <!-- AddThis Button END --> Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1310/tsr1705-345 Download Citation Recommend to: A friend

In the past 2 decades, researchers have demonstrated the potential for virtual reality (VR) technologies to provide engaging and motivating environments for stroke rehabilitation interventions. Much of the research has been focused on the exploratory phase, and jumps to intervention efficacy trials and scale-up evaluation have been made with limited understanding of the active ingredients in a VR intervention for stroke. The rapid pace of technology development is an additional challenge for this emerging field, providing a moving target for researchers developing and evaluating potential VR technologies. Recent advances in customized games and cutting-edge technology used for VR are beginning to allow for researchers to understand and control aspects of the intervention related to motivation, engagement, and motor control and learning. This article argues for researchers to take a progressive, step-wise approach through the stages of intervention development using evidence-based principles, take advantage of the data that can be obtained, and utilize measurement tools to design effective VR interventions for stroke rehabilitation that can be assessed through carefully designed efficacy and effectiveness trials. This article is motivated by the recent calls in the field of rehabilitation clinical trials research for carefully structured clinical trials that have progressed through the phases of research.

Interactive technologies are beneficial to stroke recovery as rehabilitation interventions; however, they lack evidence for use as assessment tools. Mystic Isle is a multi-planar full-body rehabilitation game developed using the Microsoft Kinect^® V2. It aims to help stroke patients improve their motor function and daily activity performance and to assess the motions of the players. It is important that the assessment results generated from Mystic Isle are accurate. The Kinect V2 has been validated for tracking lower limbs and calculating gait-specific parameters. However, few studies have validated the accuracy of the Kinect^® V2 skeleton model in upper-body movements. In this paper, we evaluated the spatial accuracy and measurement validity of a Kinect-based game Mystic Isle in comparison to a gold-standard optical motion capture system, the Vicon system. Thirty participants completed six trials in sitting and standing. Game data from the Kinect sensor and the Vicon system were recorded simultaneously, then filtered and sample rate synchronized. The spatial accuracy was evaluated using Pearson’s r correlation coefficient, signal to noise ratio (SNR) and 3D distance difference. Each arm-joint signal had an average correlation coefficient above 0.9 and a SNR above 5. The hip joints data had less stability and a large variation in SNR. Also, the mean 3D distance difference of joints were less than 10 centimeters. For measurement validity, the accuracy was evaluated using mean and standard error of the difference, percentage error, Pearson’s r correlation coefficient and intra-class correlation (ICC). Average errors of maximum hand extent of reach were less than 5% and the average errors of mean and maximum velocities were about 10% and less than 5%, respectively. We have demonstrated that Mystic Isle provides accurate measurement and assessment of movement relative to the Vicon system.

In the United States alone, more than five million people are living with long term motor impairments caused by a stroke. Recently, video games with affordable motion-based input devices have been proposed as a part of therapy to help people recover lost range of motion and motor control. While researchers have demonstrated the potential utility of therapeutic games through controlled studies, relatively little work has explored their long-term home-based use. We conducted a six-week home study with a 62-year-old woman who was seventeen years post-stroke. She played therapeutic games for approximately one hour a day, five days a week. Over the six weeks, she recovered significant motor abilities, which is unexpected given the time since her stroke. We explore detecting such improvements early, using game logs for daily measurements of motor ability to complement the standard measurements that are taken less often. Through observations and interviews, we present lessons learned about the barriers and opportunities that arise from long-term home-based use of therapeutic games.

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of a 6-week, game-based, in-home telerehabilitation exercise program using the Microsoft Kinect® for individuals with chronic stroke. Four participants with chronic stroke completed the intervention based on games designed with the customized Mystic Isle software. The games were tailored to each participant’s specific rehabilitation needs to facilitate the attainment of individualized goals determined through the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Likert scale questionnaires assessed the feasibility and utility of the game-based intervention. Supplementary clinical outcome data were collected. All participants played the games with moderately high enjoyment. Participant feedback helped identify barriers to use (especially, limited free time) and possible improvements. An in-home, customized, virtual reality game intervention to provide rehabilitative exercises for persons with chronic stroke is practicable. However, future studies are necessary to determine the intervention’s impact on participant function, activity, and involvement.