Effects of the use of active video games in balance and quality of life: systematic review

Introduction: In the past few years the interest about information and communication technologies has grown. Considering that the use of exergames is increasing, arousing the interest of the scientific community because of their innovative intervention’s strategies, it was considered important to study the effectiveness of it´s use in some aspects like balance and quality of live. Objective: To study (what is) the effectiveness of exergames intervention programs on outcomes like balance and quality of life along the life cycle. Methodology: The research was performed in the following databases: PUBMED, IEEE Xplore Database, CochraneLibrary, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Clinical Trials) and Health Technology Assessment Database (Technology Assessments)), EBSCO, PEDro, ACM the guide, Elsevier, Springer and Taylor & Francis. The selected search terms were video games, gaming, active video games, wii, Xbox, exergame, postural balance, quality of life. Different research’s equations were used with the following inclusion criteria: RCT studies in English, Spanish or Portuguese language, it couldn’t be studies accomplished before 2001 including that year. According to the criteria and the application of PEDro scale, 5 articles comprised the analyzed final sample after selection. Results: There is no consensus among the studies which were analyzed as to the true relation between balance gains and the utilization of the different exergames. However that relation has been verified in the outcome quality of life. In this second outcome it was considered the increasing on the motivation levels and interest in therapy. Those contribute to a better adhesion in the therapeutic treatment and consequently to functional gains. Conclusion: According to the reviewed studies in this systematic review, it was possible to verify that the utilization of game consoles may be recommended as an instrument to the rehabilitation of patients who have disturbance in balance and decreased levels of quality of life, since the feedback’s system promotes motor control and motor learning. This systematic review has a strong impact in Physiotherapy practice because it allows the comprehension of what studies were performed in the area so far, whereas the utilization of those instruments implies, as all the Physiotherapy interventions, better scientific evidence.N/

Design Considerations in Therapeutic Exergaming

In this paper we discuss the importance of feedback in therapeutic exergaming. It is widely believed that exergaming benefits the patient in terms of encouraging adherence and boosting the patient’s confidence of correct execution and feedback is essential in achieving these. However, feedback and in particular visual feedback, may also have potential negative effects on the quality of the exercise. We describe in this paper a prototype single-sensor therapeutic exergame that we have developed and provide some preliminary user feedback regarding enjoyment and perceived competence when using the exergame compared to exercising without the exergame. Our results indicate that all participants found exercising with the game more enjoyable. However, additional work is needed to increase participants’ confidence in their correct execution of the exercise

The Potential of Using Exergame s for Correcting Posture Problems of Children

In Poland we observe a large scale of posture deformations and consequent health implications in the population of school children. Therefore many pedagogical and medical societies are looking for ways and methods of preventing and reversing this negative trend. The purpose of this article is to present the potential of practical use of new posture correction interactive games among school children. Some of the newest equipment and ways of detecting and registering natural human movement have been presented. Teletransmision of data in real time makes it possible for a physiotherapist to supervise and modify the player’s motor behavior. Creating visually attractive and involving forms of physical exercise might help encourage and inspire children to reject a sedentary lifestyle.3128930316Studia Edukacyjn

Effect of my fit trainer for balance rehabilitation in chronic stroke patient: a case study

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the world and most common cause of adult disability of the survivors. Balance problems in stroke is very common, and they have been implicated in the poor recovery of activities of daily living (ADL) and mobility and an increased risk of falls. They also have altered in body weight distribution patterns, so that less body weight is taken through the weaker leg have smaller excursions when moving their weight toward the base of support, mostly in the direction of the weaker leg. My fitness trainer (MFT) balance board consists of a uniaxial unstable platform with an integrated sensor, which records all discrepancies in the plane. A 30-year-old female who has history of stroke 4 year ago has chief complain of weakness of upper limb and lower limb and unable to maintain dynamic balance. In this study we assessed the patient on berg balance scale and my fit trainer balance board with pre score and post score which shows significant improvement in results. The Berg balance scale measure score from 37/56 pre-treatment to 48/56 post treatment which shows significance increase in berg balance scale. The MFT balance board measure score from 4.2 disappointed stability in 30 seconds pre-treatment and 3.4 improve stability in 120 seconds post treatment which shows significance increase in MFT balance board. It concluded that there is effect of MFT to improve balance in chronic stroke patient

Rise Of Exergaming

AN ABSTRACT OF THE MASTERS PROJECT OFBADRINARAYANAN RAMAKRISHNAN, for the MASTER OF SCIENCE degreein MASS COMMUNICATION & MEDIA ARTS, presented on April 11, 2011 atSouthern Illinois University Carbondale.TITLE: THE RISE OF EXER-GAMINGMAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. John HochheimerThis paper looks at childhood obesity in the United States ofAmerica, its causes, and various intervention methods as well as videogamesthat have been employed in the fight against obesity through the emergence ofphysically engaging games. While childhood obesity is spreading fast, its effectsare devastating. Illnesses and other conditions previously seen only in adults arenow occurring more frequently in children. Though the Center for DiseaseControl has made recommendations and tried to educate children about ahealthy diet and regular physical activity, obesity remains a threat to health.Though a combination of diet and physical activity are the recommendedintervention criteria, the importance of physical activity has been realized in manystudies. But, even here many studies only reached near significant changes intheir interventions due to adherence issues. Videogames games help in burningcalories and also in increasing physical activity levels in children, since thesegames engage players physically. Adherence issues are solved using the help of“exergames”, as they hide exercise behind a layer of fun. These exergames areseen as a genre of videogames rather than a novel way to play (i.e. aiireplacement of the traditional videogame controller) and need to expand fromonly one kind of videogame title

The Effects of Surface Texture on a Variety of Balance Assessments

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to observe whether there was a difference in balance scores between the utilization of different floor surfaces.The surfaces used to assess the balance scores within the individual were hardwood, traditional yoga mat, and NABOSO mat. The NABOSO technology was designed to increase mechanical proprioception in hands and feet. Methods: The investigators recruited 18 participants between the ages of 19-25, all of them met eligibility criteria to partake in the study. They all completed a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire and informed consent document prior to the tests to ensure that there were no factors that would exclude them from the study. The subjects were randomly assigned with regards to how they would progress through the three floor surface conditions. The investigators then led the subjects in a brief warm-up, took their height, and leg height. All subjects started out on the Neurocom Balance Master performing a Unilateral Eyes Open & Eyes Closed test followed by the Y-Balance test. Results: A repeated measures ANOVA revealed that there were no significant differences, p\u3e0.05, between the static and dynamic balance tests (Unilateral Stance and Y-Balance Test) among any of the three floor surface conditions (Control- hardwood, yoga mat, NABOSO mat). Conclusion: The study conducted revealed no significant difference within the test scores of the participant among the three conditions. To provide further support or argument of the results collected in this study, future considerations should be taken into account to conduct the study on special populations such as geriatric patients or children/adolescents. Future studies should also consider prolonging the time of the study and increasing the sample size that might eliminate factors that will affect the accuracy of the results and observe whether the NABOSO mat has an increasing effect on balance and proprioception or experiences similar results to this study

Six-week combined vibration and wobble board training on balance and stability in footballers with functional ankle instability.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of a combination of vibration and wobble board training against wobble board training alone in footballers suffering from functional ankle instability (FAI). Design: A 2 · 3 prefactorial–postfactorial design. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: Thirty-three male semiprofessional footballers with self-reported unilateral FAI were randomly assigned in 3 groups: vibration and wobble board (mean age 22.2 years), wobble board (mean age 22.7 years), and control (mean age 23.1 years). Interventions: Participants in each intervention group performed a 6-week progressive rehabilitation program using a wobble board, either with or without the addition of vibration stimulus. Main Outcome Measures: Absolute center of mass (COM) distribution during single-leg stance, modified star excursion balance test (SEBT) reach distances, and single-leg triple hop for distance (SLTHD) were measured before and after 6-week intervention. Results: Combined vibration and wobble board training resulted in AU3 reduced COM distribution [P # 0.001, effect size (ES) = 0.66], increased SEBT reach distances (P # 0.01 and P # 0.002, ES = 0.19 and 0.29, respectively), and increased SLTHD (P # 0.001, ES = 0.33) compared with wobble board training alone during the course of the 6-week training intervention. Conclusions: Combined vibration and wobble board training improves COM distribution, modified SEBT scores and SLTHD among footballers suffering FAI, compared with wobble board training alone

Pengaruh Latihan Keseimbangan Dengan Wobble Board Terhadap Keseimbangan Dinamis Pada Pemain Basket

Basketball is a physical contact sport that involves physical fitness, team tactics, and requires high motivation. One important skill in basketball is balance. A good balance allows players to control the body to minimize errors and reduce the risk of falling. Balance training can be done with a simple tool such as a wobble board. This assessment aims to determine the effect of giving a wobble board balance training to the dynamic balance of female basketball players at the Muhammadiyah University Surakarta basketball unit. The type of research used uses the quasi experimental method. Study design with pretest-posttest with control group design. The sample size in this study amounted to 14 people divided into 2 groups. The treatment group was given balance training with a wobble board and the treatment group was given balance training without a wobble board. Measurement of pre-test and post-test usingbalance test. Test the normality of the data using Saphiro Wilk Test. Homogeneity test using Anova test. Effect test using the Wilcoxon test. Difference test using Mann Whitney. Based on the results of research on the treatment group balance training with a wobble board against dynamic balance in basketball players obtained results using statistical tests for the effect test using Wilcoxon p = 0.027 (<0.05). While the effect difference test using Mann Whitney p = 0.015 (<0.05). From the results of the study it can be concluded that there is an effect of balance training with the wobble board on dynamic balance in female basketball players at the Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta basketball unit

Efficacy of a Single-Task ERP Measure to Evaluate Cognitive Workload During a Novel Exergame

This study aimed to validate the efficacy of single-task event-related potential (ERP) measures of cognitive workload to be implemented in exergame-based rehabilitation. Twenty-four healthy participants took part in a novel gamified balance task where task-irrelevant auditory tones were presented in the background to generate ERPs in the participants’ electroencephalogram (EEG) as a measure of cognitive workload. For the balance task, a computer-based tilt-ball game was combined with a balance board. Participants played the game by shifting their weight to tilt the balance board, which moved a virtual ball to score goals. The game was manipulated by adjusting the size of the goalposts to set three predefined levels of game difficulty (easy, medium, and hard). The participant’s experience of game difficulty was evaluated based on the number of goals scored and their subjective reporting of perceived difficulty. Participants experienced a significant difference in the three levels of task difficulty based on the number of goals scored and perceived difficulty (p < 0.001). Post hoc analysis revealed the lowest performance for the hardest level. The mean amplitude of the N1 ERP component was used to measure the cognitive workload associated with the three difficulty levels. The N1 component’s amplitude decreased significantly (p < 0.001), with an increase in the task difficulty. Moreover, the amplitude of the N1 component for the hard level was significantly smaller compared to medium (p = 0.0003) and easy (p < 0.001) levels. These results support the efficacy of the N1 ERP component to measure cognitive workload in dynamic and real-life scenarios such as exergames and other rehabilitation exercises

The Effects of Stable and Unstable Training Surfaces on Dynamic Postural Stability

Context: Dynamic postural stability (DPS) is essential for skilled athletic performance, injury prevention, and rehabilitation. However, there is limited research on whether DPS training on unstable or stable surfaces elicit greater DPS improvements. Objective: To determine whether training on stable (Wii Fit) or unstable (wobble board, WB) surfaces elicit greater DPS improvements compaired to controls. Design: A three group pre-post test study. Setting: This study was performed in a controlled laboratory setting. Subjects: 29 student-athletes (24 Female and 5 males, 19.8 + 0.89 years old, 1.72 + 0.06 m, 71.0 + 11.6 kg) participated in the study. Interventions: The subjects were randomly assigned to a Wii (n=9), WB (n=10), or Control group (n=10). Both the training groups participated in 12 supervised balance training sessions of 15 minutes each over four weeks. Main Outcome Measures: DPS was measured at pre and post training using the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT, reliability .82 - .87) and the Dynamic Postural Stability Index (DPSI, Reliability .93). A change score (Post - Pre) was calculated for the mean reach length during the anterior (A-mSEBT), posterior medial (PM-mSEBT), and posterior lateral (PL-mSEBT) directions, total mSEBT scores (T-mSEBT). A change score (Post - Pre) was calculated for the mean Medial lateral stability index (MLSI), vertical stability index (VSI), anterior posterior stability index (APSI), and dynamic postural stability index (DPSI) and compared using a oneway a ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc. Subject\u27s enjoyment of their training protocol was reported using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (Reliability 0.70) and compared between Wii and WB utilizing oneway ANOVA. Results: For mSEBT significant main effects were noted for the PL-mSEBT (p=.003), A-mSEBT (p=.034), and T-mSEBT (p\u3c.001). Post hoc testing identified both Wii and WB as outperforming control in the PL, and T-mSEBT and WB out performing control in A-mSEBT. Overall, there were no differences between Wii and WB for any of the measures. The Wii group reported a significantly higher level of enjoyment than the WB group (P=0.007). Conclusions: Both stable and unstable surfaces improve postural stability thus suggesting both are valuable tools to improve DPSI in collegiate student-athletes; however, Wii is more enjoyable than WB