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Can balance in children with cerebral palsy improve through use of an activity promoting computer game?
Nerrolyn Ramstrand1, Frida Lygnegård
1Department of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, 55111Jönköping, Sweden. Nerrolyn.ramstrand@hhj.hj.se
Insights
Nintendo Wii Fit did not significantly improve balance in children with cerebral palsy. This home-based intervention over five weeks showed no measurable benefits for balance outcomes in this pediatric population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric rehabilitation
- Neurology
- Game-based therapy
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) affects motor function, including balance.
- Home-based interventions are sought to improve accessibility and adherence.
- Nintendo Wii Fit is a commercially available exergaming platform.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of Nintendo Wii Fit for improving balance in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- To assess the impact of a home-based activity-promoting computer game on balance outcome measures.
Main Methods:
- Eighteen children with hemiplegic or diplegic CP participated.
- A randomized cross-over design was employed.
- Balance was assessed using the modified sensory organization test, reactive balance test, and rhythmic weight shift test after 5 weeks of Wii Fit use and a 5-week control period.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were found in any balance measures between the intervention and control periods (p > 0.05).
- The Nintendo Wii Fit intervention did not yield improvements in tested balance outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Home-based use of Nintendo Wii Fit for 30 minutes daily over five weeks is ineffective for balance training in children with cerebral palsy.
- Further research may be needed to explore alternative or modified game-based interventions for this population.
Introduction:
This study aimed to evaluate if use of an activity promoting computer game, used in the home (Nintendo Wii Fit; Nintendo Co Ltd, Japan), could influence balance related outcome measures in children with cerebral palsy.
Method:
Eighteen children with hemiplegic or diplegic cerebral palsy were recruited for the study. A randomised cross-over design was used with children tested at baseline, after five weeks of playing Wii Fit games and after five weeks without any intervention. Outcome measures of interest included: performance on the modified sensory organisation test, reactive balance test and rhythmic weight shift test.
Results:
No significant difference was observed between testing occasions for any of the balance measures investigated (p > 0.05).
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that use of a Nintendo Wii balance board and Wii Fit software for a minimum of thirty minutes per day in the patient's own home, over a five week period, is not effective as a balance training tool in children with cerebral palsy.
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