Hemiparesis resulting from a stroke has a direct impact on patients’ daily activities. New approaches for motor rehabilitation include Serious Games (SG) because they include (in a motivating way) the three fundamental elements for rehabilitation: intensive, repetitive and task-oriented training. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effects of a biomedical SG and a scoring system developed for lower limb motor rehabilitation of hemiparetic stroke patients. The SG was inspired by the classic videogame called Pong, where the goal is to control a tennis racquet, but using muscular strength. A knee extensor apparatus was adapted with a load cell and mechanical adjustments for measuring the muscular strength of the quadriceps femoris (QFG) and hamstrings (HSG). A scoring system was proposed to evaluate muscular control. Eleven hemiparetic stroke patients participated in an exercise program using the SG twice a week for ten weeks and only the paretic side was trained. Significant Effect Sizes (d) were found for QFG strength (d=0.5; p=0.021), QFG control (d=1.1; p<0.001), HSG strength (d=1.1; p=0.001), HSG control (d=1.5; p=0.003), functional mobility (d=0.3; p<0.001), gait speed (d=0.4; p=0.007) and motor recovery (d=1.0; p<0.001). Results indicate that the intervention of a SG with both proper apparatus and evaluation system may effectively promote lower limb motor rehabilitation of hemiparetic stroke patients.

Hemiparetic stroke patients can have several muscular and postural disorders which compromise their balance. Serious Games (SG) emerged as a new approach to enhance conventional treatment by making it a motivating method to meet individual needs. This paper evaluated the therapeutic effects of a biomedical SG system developed for balance evaluation and training of hemiparetic stroke patients. The system consists of a balance board with inertial sensors and a computer system that runs the game. A novel scoring system for balance evaluation which extracts metric information regarding patients’ performance while gaming was proposed. A quasi-experimental study was performed with six hemiparetic patients in an exercise program using the SG twice per week for 10 weeks. Twelve healthy subjects were recruited for determining the baseline score for balance by using the proposed system. Significant Effect Sizes (ES) were observed for dynamic balance (ES=0.9), functional mobility (ES=0.4) and center of pressure displacement of the balance board (ES=1.9). Significant correlations between game scores and clinical scales suggest that the use of the scoring system for balance evaluation is feasible. The results of this study support the clinical potential of a biomedical SG for balance rehabilitation of hemiparetic stroke patients.

Introduction: Hemiparesis post-stroke usually results in locomotor limitations. As conventional rehabilitation is monotonous, the Serious Games (SG) represents an excellent treatment strategy, allowing to perform physical training in an interesting and enjoyable way. Objective: To evaluate the effects of an exercise program using the SG developed for hemiparetic stroke patients’ locomotor rehabilitation. Method: Non-Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Twenty-four hemiparetic stroke patients with subacute or chronic stroke (twelve men), mean age of 57.8 ± 10.4 years (injury time of 16.8 ± 19.6 months) participated in the study. The experimental group (n = 16) participated in an exercise program with the SG for lower limb rehabilitation. The control group (n = 8) received conventional treatment (kinesiotherapy). The intervention consisted of sessions twice a week for ten weeks. The following parameters were assessed: muscle strength (dynamometry), spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale), functional mobility (Timed Up and Go Test - TUGT), and the gait speed (GS). Results: Both groups showed improvements, but the experimental group was better in all the studied variables, the muscular strength of the lower limb paresis and of the quadriceps femoris (p = 0.002; d = 0.7); and for the hamstrings (p < 0.001; d = 1.3), TUGT (p < 0.001; d = 0.4), and GS (p = 0.001; d = 0.4). Conclusion: The exercise program with the SG was useful for the patients treated in this study. The results showed a superiority of the SG regarding the conventional treatment in all the controlled variables. This was probably because of the greater repeatability of the exercises and the increased attention and motivation.

A hemiparesia é o quadro clínico típico do Acidente Vascular Cerebral (AVC), resultando em importantes perdas funcionais que comprometem a qualidade de vida (QV) dos pacientes. Embora a fisioterapia convencional seja benéfica na reabilitação, existem algumas limitações. Jogos Sérios (JS) correspondem à uma alternativa viável na reabilitação pois tornam o processo mais motivador. O objetivo foi verificar os efeitos terapêuticos de um programa de exercícios utilizando um JS sobre as funções motoras de membros inferiores, mobilidade funcional e QV de hemiparéticos pós-AVC. Trata-se de um ensaio clínico controlado não-randomizado, envolvendo 24 pacientes em fase subaguda ou crônica da doença. O grupo experimental (GE n=16) recebeu tratamento para o membro inferior parético utilizando o JS mim-Pong. O grupo controle (GC n=8) recebeu tratamento com cinesioterapia convencional. Foram realizadas 20 sessões (duas vezes por semana), com duração de aproximadamente 30 minutos. Foram avaliados: comprometimento motor (Fugl-Meyer-EFM), nível cognitivo (Mini Exame do Estado Mental), mobilidade funcional (Timed Up and Go Test), percepção de QV (Perfil de Saúde de Nottingham-PSN) e percepção de melhora (Escala Likert). Melhoras significativas foram observadas apenas no GE. Destaca-se o grande tamanho do efeito (TDE) obtido nas variáveis avaliadas com o PSN (TDE=0,5) e com a EFM (TDE=0,6). Existiu ainda superioridade do GE na percepção de melhora. Conclui-se que o JS mim-Pong pode ser considerado como um recurso valioso na reabilitação de hemiparéticos pós-AVC, pois foi capaz de proporcionar melhoras motoras e funcionais, que impactaram diretamente na qualidade de vida dos pacientes, sendo estas melhoras superiores às obtidas com a fisioterapia convencional.

Introduction: Stroke is a neurological disorder considered the second major cause of death worldwide, leading to severe respiratory dysfunctions, evident in reduced respiratory muscle strength and the presence of muscle imbalances that directly affect the pulmonary mechanics of these patients. Objective: Evaluate the possible metric properties of a biomedical system, the IBI. Method: the study was conducted with 25 hemiparetic stroke patients of both sexes, using a manovacuometer, peak flow, and SG IBI for respiratory measurements. Results: Moderate to strong correlations were observed between the IBI biomedical system and peak flow and manovacuometer measurements, which were smaller than the predicted values. Conclusion: The results suggest that the IBI biomedical system is potentially valid for pulmonary function measurement, sensitive to air flow variations and generates maximum respiratory pressure. As such, it is an important resource for prescribing intensity and controlling progression in pulmonary rehabilitation.

This study evaluates the accuracy of a low-cost wearable system for the continuous monitoring of vital signs, including heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (Sp${\mathrm{O}}_2$), blood pressure trend (BPT), and body temperature. The prototype was built using the nRF52840 microcontroller, which integrates photoplethysmography and infrared sensors. The heart rate and Sp${\mathrm{O}}_2$ data were collected under three body positions (Rest, Sitting, and Standing), while all measurements were performed using both anatomical configurations: BPT-Finger and BPT-Earlobe. Results were compared against validated commercial devices: UT-100 for heart rate and Sp${\mathrm{O}}_2$, G-TECH LA800 for blood pressure, and G-TECH THGTSC3 for body temperature. Ten participants were monitored over a ten-day period. Bland–Altman analysis revealed clinically acceptable agreement thresholds of ±5 mmHg for blood pressure, ±5–10 bpm for heart rate, ±4% for Sp${\mathrm{O}}_2$, and ±0.5 °C for temperature. Both wearable configurations demonstrated clinically acceptable agreement across all vital signs. The BPT-Earlobe configuration exhibited superior stability and lower variability in the Rest and Sitting positions, likely due to reduced motion artifacts. Conversely, the BPT-Finger configuration showed higher Sp${\mathrm{O}}_2$ accuracy in the Standing position, with narrower limits of agreement. These findings highlight the importance of sensor placement in maintaining measurement consistency across physiological conditions. With an estimated cost of only ~USD 130—compared to ~USD 590 for the commercial alternatives—the proposed system presents a cost-effective, scalable, and accessible solution for decentralized health monitoring, particularly in underserved or remote environments.