The Design Process and Usability Assessment of an Exergame System to Facilitate Strength for Task Training for Lower Limb Stroke Rehabilitation

Successful stroke rehabilitation relies on early, long-term, repetitive and intensive treatment, which is rarely adhered to by patients. Exergames can increase patients’ engagement with their therapy. Marketed exergaming systems for lower limb rehabilitation are hard to find and, none yet, facilitate Strength for Task Training (STT), a novel physiotherapeutic method for stroke rehabilitation. STT involves performing brief but intensive strength training (priming) prior to task-specific training to promote neural plasticity and maximize the gains in locomotor ability. This research investigates how the design of an exergame system (game and game controller) for lower limb stroke rehabilitation can facilitate unsupervised STT and therefore allow stroke patients to care for their own health. The findings suggest that specific elements of STT can be incorporated in an exergame system. Barriers to use can be reduced through considering the diverse physiological and cognitive abilities of patients and aesthetic consideration can help create a meaningful system than promotes its use in the home. The semantics of form and movement play an essential role for stroke patients to be able to carry out their exercises

12-12: A Physiotherapeutic Rehabilitation Game for Older Adults Recovering from Stroke

Stroke is one of the most common diseases affecting older adults in Western societies. Suffering a stroke can result in a loss or weakness of mental and motor functions, severely impacting the individual’s quality of life. With effective rehabilitation it is possible to recover from stroke and regain some lost capabilities. However, rehabilitation can be very taxing on the individual, both physically and mentally, and many struggle with maintaining the motivation to continue. Those who are unable to stay motivated tend to struggle with recovery. Without regular rehabilitation of an appropriate level of intensity, the individual’s progress will wane. They may lose interest or faith in their ability to recover, maximizing the negative impact of the stroke. To combat this, we explored the incorporation of a digital game system into the rehabilitation process. Such a system introduced a more engaging alternative to existing mundane physiotherapy exercises. The system converted prescribed exercises into gameplay using a special shoe controller designed to target lower-limb rehabilitation. Health professionals were involved in its development, ensuring the validity of the gameplay as a substitute for traditional rehabilitation methods. Tests were conducted with older adults to explore the target audience’s needs and refine the system accordingly. The final output was a digitized dominoes game (called 12-12) that required players to perform lower-limb physiotherapy exercises to progress gameplay. 12-12 incorporates Dr. Signal’s Strength for Task Training (2014), a novel and contemporary rehabilitation scheme, supported by the custom shoe controller developed by co-researcher William Duncan. 12-12 explored engagement through the themes of adaptability, connectivity and meaningful interactions

12-12: A Physiotherapeutic Rehabilitation Game for Older Adults Recovering from Stroke

Stroke is one of the most common diseases affecting older adults in Western societies. Suffering a stroke can result in a loss or weakness of mental and motor functions, severely impacting the individual’s quality of life. With effective rehabilitation it is possible to recover from stroke and regain some lost capabilities. However, rehabilitation can be very taxing on the individual, both physically and mentally, and many struggle with maintaining the motivation to continue. Those who are unable to stay motivated tend to struggle with recovery. Without regular rehabilitation of an appropriate level of intensity, the individual’s progress will wane. They may lose interest or faith in their ability to recover, maximizing the negative impact of the stroke. To combat this, we explored the incorporation of a digital game system into the rehabilitation process. Such a system introduced a more engaging alternative to existing mundane physiotherapy exercises. The system converted prescribed exercises into gameplay using a special shoe controller designed to target lower-limb rehabilitation. Health professionals were involved in its development, ensuring the validity of the gameplay as a substitute for traditional rehabilitation methods. Tests were conducted with older adults to explore the target audience’s needs and refine the system accordingly. The final output was a digitized dominoes game (called 12-12) that required players to perform lower-limb physiotherapy exercises to progress gameplay. 12-12 incorporates Dr. Signal’s Strength for Task Training (2014), a novel and contemporary rehabilitation scheme, supported by the custom shoe controller developed by co-researcher William Duncan. 12-12 explored engagement through the themes of adaptability, connectivity and meaningful interactions.</p