Movement Interventions for Children with Autism and Developmental Disabilities: An Evidence-Based Practice Project

This review explored the following question: Are the comprehensive treatment models Makoto Therapy, Brain Gym, and Interactive Metronome effective interventions for improving occupational performance including improving executive function, academic performance, and physical coordination in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? Because current research on Interactive Metronome, Brain Gym®, and Makoto Therapy fails to address children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, presents multiple flaws in research design, and does not measure occupational outcomes such as occupational performance, we recommend that these interventions should not be used as comprehensive treatment models in occupational therapy. We recommend that more occupational-based, methodologically-sound research involving youth with ASD be conducted before implementing these interventions in occupational therapy practice

VR Exergames for ocular diseases diagnosis

According to the World Health Organization, in 2011 there were about 314 million people with impaired vision, due either to ocular diseases or uncorrected ocular errors. Around 45 million people, of these 314 million, are blind. About 75% of all blindness and visual impairment cases caused by these diseases are avoidable. There are already some practical and relatively cheap tools to make this diagnosis, but all of them are intrusive, which doesn’t make them too attractive. To solve this issue, we thought of a non-intrusive way to diagnose eye problems. So we created a Virtual Reality exergame, EyeCare, that tests users’ vision, while they are having fun playing it. This exergame is meant to be played by teenagers and young adults, using only a smartphone and Virtual Reality visor. EyeCare consists in a game where users have to complete several puzzles to escape the forest. The users play the puzzles to assess their astigmatism, contrast sensitivity, color blindness, and peripheral vision. In the end, the results are given to the users as problems that they may have. With this solution, our goal is to diagnose diseases early enough, so they can be monitored, and thus reducing the number of people with impaired vision and blindness

STUDI KASUS PROGRAM AKTIVITAS FISIK PENYANDANG TUNANETRA

Penelitian ini berawal dari pemikiran bahwa siswa tunanetra seharusnya mempunyai kesempatan yang sama dalam mengikuti pendidikan atau pembelajaran di sekolah dalam memenuhi kebutuhan aktivitas fisik, akan tetapi dalam kenyataannya masih belum berkembang. Kondisi ini berdampak pada kurang tergalinya kemampuan dalam aktivitas fisiknya. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah memberikan gambaran proses aktivitas fisik anak tunanetra yang totally dan low vision dan pengemas program aktivitas fisik yang sesuai dengan tunanetra. Metode yang dipakai dalam penelitian ini adalah metode kualitatif pendekatan studi kasus dengan menggunakan teknik observasi dan wawancara. Untuk partisipan dilakukan pada masyarakat di sekolah luar biasa Citeureup yang diantaranya siswa, guru, dan pengambil kebijakan. Hasil penelitian menyatakan bahwa aktivitas fisik di rumah dan sekolah siswa tunanetra tidak dapat memenuhi rekomendasi yang telah ditetapkan baik untuk siswa yang totally dan low vision dan bentuk program aktivitas fisik untuk siswa tunanetra. Penelitian ini memberikan rekomendasi agar semua pihak memperhatikan intensitas aktivitas fisik siswa tunanetra, adanya perguruan tinggi yang membuka program studi khusus berkaitan dengan pendidikan jasmani untuk dapat mempelajari siswa berkebutuhan khusus, dan melihat perbedaan aktivitas fisik siswa berkebutuhan khusus diluar siswa tunanetra

Wii-based exercise program to improve physical fitness, motor proficiency and functional mobility in adults with Down syndrome

People with Down syndrome (DS) usually display reduced physical fitness (aerobic capacity, muscle strength and abnormal body composition), motor proficiency impairments (balance and postural control) and physical functional limitations. Exergames can be an appealing alternative to enhance exercise engagement and compliance, whilst improving physical fitness and motor function. This study aims to analyse the effects of a Wii-based exercise program on physical fitness, functional mobility and motor proficiency of adults with DS.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The effect of leap motion controller based exergame therapy on hand function, cognitive function and quality of life in older adults. A randomised trial

Objective. To evaluate the effect of leap motion controller based exergame therapy (LMCBET) on hand function, cognitive function and quality of life (QoL) in older adults. Design. A parallel, double-blind trial with participants allocated (1:1) to one of two groups as the structured exercise (SE) and LMCBET. Setting. The study was conducted in “Barınyurt Nursing Home and Elderly Care Center” in Istanbul. Participants. Thirty-two older adults who had adequate hand function, ability to follow commands, 24 points or more in the mini mental state examination (MMSE) were included and 30 were analyzed. Interventions. SE Group performed a Structured Hand Exercise program while LMCBET group performed “ErgoActive’’ and “HandROM” exercise apps focusing on hand exercises and fine motor skills along 30-45 minute sessions, 2 days a week, over 8 weeks. Main outcome measures. Participants were evaluated with box and block test (BBT), Purdue Pegboard test (PPT), hand dynamometer, Duruöz hand index (DHI), stroop test (ST), digit span test (DST), and World Health Organization QoL instrument-older adults module (WHOQOL-OLD) at the beginning (T0), at 8 (T1), and 16 (T2) weeks after the study started. Results. There were significant differences in BBT, PPT, DHI, and WHOQOL-OLD in the SE group (p 0.05). Conclusions. SE and LMCBET were effective on hand function and QoL in healthy older adults.Nursing Home and Elderly Care Cente

Games for health for children - current status and needed research

Videogames for health (G4H) offer exciting, innovative, potentially highly effective methods for increasing knowledge, delivering persuasive messages, changing behaviors, and influencing health outcomes. Although early outcome results are promising, additional research is needed to determine the game design and behavior change procedures that best promote G4H effectiveness and to identify and minimize possible adverse effects. Guidelines for ideal use of different types of G4H by children and adolescents should be elucidated to enhance effectiveness and minimize adverse effects. G4H stakeholders include organizational implementers, policy makers, players and their families, researchers, designers, retailers, and publishers. All stakeholders should be involved in G4H development and have a voice in setting goals to capitalize on their insights to enhance effectiveness and use of the game. In the future, multiple targeted G4H should be available to meet a population's diverse health needs in developmentally appropriate ways. Substantial, consistent, and sophisticated research with appropriate levels of funding is needed to realize the benefits of G4H

A scoping review and a taxonomy of the use of motion-based technology centered on the end user. A special focus on elderly health

Motion-based technology (MBT) has been applied in the last decades with enormous success in a high number of applications. Its use continues growing and is specially interesting in the health area. Nowadays, its employment is being more and more specialised with respect to the profile of the end user (i.e., child, adolescent/teenager, adult or elderly). This paper first reviews the use of MBT centered in the end user from a global perspective. It also proposes a taxonomy that allows cataloguing the MBT employment directed to the end user. Then, from these results, the paper centers the review on the MBT application aiming to improve the health of elderly. The results highlighted in this paper can help to a better understanding of MBT, especially when it is applied thinking in elderly as the end users.This study is partially funded by the Universidad de Málaga with the national project Bio4Res (PID2021-125184NB-I00) from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci ́on de Espa ̃na (MCIN). Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA

Doctor Mario: How Video Games Are Being Used as Medicine

The video game industry has become the largest media industry in the world, dwarfing even the movie and music industries. As such, video games are very present in the consciousness of American citizens. This makes them attractive to areas such as the field of medicine, which is always researching new and more effective ways to administer treatments to patients. This thesis examines all the research surrounding the use of video games as medicine, whether it be to treat a mental illness, physical ailment, or just for cognitive training, in an effort to determine if video games are effective as a treatment modality and determine the ideal way to introduce them into the field of medicine. Through an extensive literature review, this thesis determined that video games are, in fact, effective as treatments for various medical issues. Through an examination of the types of video games used in these studies, it was discovered that commercially-available video games are more common, as they are more attractive to doctors and researchers, offering an already existing, nearly endless pool of potential treatments. It was also concluded that the best way to introduce video games to medicine is by using them as a supplement to normal therapies and treatments, rather than as a standalone treatment

O efeito de um programa de treinamento de totalmente imersivo do Playstation VR no desenvolvimento das habilidades perceptivas das crianças no Voleibol.

This study examined the impact of two different educational interventions, a program that were based on full immersive virtual reality games (FIVE) and a typical training program (TT), in Depth Perception (DP) and Anticipation Reaction Time (ART) of forty eight female volleyball players aged 8-10 years old. The players were randomly separeted into three individual groups of 16 children each, two experimental groups (FIVE, TT) and one control group. The FIVE group attended, for 6 weeks, twice a week and 24 min per session, a full immersive program in Playstation4VR and the TT group a typical training to the court, based to improve DP and ART. The control group did not receive any structured DP and ART training program. Before the interventions, after and one –month after, DP was estimated using Electric Depth Perception Tester and ART using Bassin Anticipation Timer. Were conducted Two-Way analyses of variance with repeated measures, to demonstrate the impact of educational interventions measurements across the two movements on DP efficacy and the two speeds (5mph and 10mph) on ART performance. The post and the retention tests DP in both movements scores were remarkably greater than pre-test for FIVE and TT groups but not for the control group. Additionally, on the ART scores, it was observed that only at a speed of 10 mph did the post and retention test scores show a significant increase compared to the pre-test scores for both experimental groups, while no such increase was observed in the control group. To conclude, exergames VR and a typical training are effective tools for improving DP and ART in volleyball players aged 8-10 years –old.Este estudio examinó el efecto de dos intervenciones educativas, un programa basado en juegos de realidad virtual totalmente inmersivos (FIVE) y un programa de entrenamiento típico (TT), en Percepción de profundidad (DP) y Tiempo de reacción de anticipación (ART) de cuarenta y ocho jugadoras de voleibol de 8 a 10 años. El grupo FIVE asistió a un programa inmersivo completo en Playstation4VR y el grupo TT a un entrenamiento típico en la cancha, basado en mejorar DP y ART durante 6 semanas, dos veces por semana durante 24 min cada vez. El grupo de control no recibió ningún programa estructurado de formación en PD y ART. Antes, después y un mes después de las intervenciones, se calculó la DP utilizando el Probador de Percepción de Profundidad Eléctrica y el ART utilizando el Temporizador de Anticipación de Bassin. Se realizaron análisis de varianza bidireccionales con medidas repetidas, para determinar el efecto de los grupos de programas de entrenamiento y las mediciones en los dos movimientos en el rendimiento de DP y las dos velocidades (5 mph y 10 mph) en el rendimiento de ART. Las puntuaciones de las pruebas posteriores y de retención DP en ambos movimientos fueron notablemente mayores que las de las pruebas previas para ambos grupos experimentales, pero no para el grupo de control. Además, en las puntuaciones de ART, sólo en 10 mph, las puntuaciones de las pruebas posteriores y de retención fueron notablemente mayores que las puntuaciones previas a la prueba para ambos grupos experimentales y no para el grupo de control. En conclusión, los exergames VR y un entrenamiento típico son herramientas efectivas para mejorar el DP y ART en jugadores de voleibol de 8 a 10 años de edad.Este estudo examinou o efeito de duas intervenções educativa, um programa baseado num jogos de realidade virtual total imersivos (RVTI) e um programa de treinamento típico (TT), em Percepção de Profundidade (PP) e Tempo de Reação de Antecipação (TRA) de quarenta e oito voleibolistas com idades entre 8 e 10 anos. Divididos de forma randomizata em três grupos individuais de 16 crianças cada, um controle e dois grupos experimentais (RVTI, TT). O grupo RVTI participou de um programa total imersivo em Playstation4VR e o grupo TT um treinamento típico para quadra, com base de melhorar PP e TRA durante 6 semanas, duas vezes por semana durante 24 min cada vez. O grupo de controle não recebeu nenhum programa estruturado de treinamento em PP e TRA. Antes, após e um mês após da intervenção, o PP foi estimado usando o Electric Depth Perception Tester e o ΤΡΑ usando o Bassin Anticipation Timer. Foram conduzidas análises de variância de duas vias com medidas repetidas, a determinar οs efeitos da grupos de programas de treinamento e medições entre os dois movimentos em desempenho de PP e as duas velocidades (5 mph e 10 mph) em desempenho de TRA. O pós-teste e os testes de retenção DP em ambos os escores de movimentos foram notavelmente maiores do que o pré-teste para ambos os grupos experimentais, mas não para o grupo de controle. Além disso, nas pontuações de ART, apenas em 10 mph as pontuações do pós e do teste de retenção foram notavelmente maiores do que as pontuações do pré-teste para ambos os grupos experimentais e não para o grupo de controle. Em conclusão, os exergames VR e um treinamento típico são ferramentas eficazes para melhorar a DP e ART em jogadores de voleibol de 8 a 10 anos de idade