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Published on: May 3, 2018
Immediate Effect of Digital Game Use and Verbal Encouragement on Lower Limb Activity and Psychological Enjoyment
Daiki Asano1, Hikaru Sakai1, Haruka Monden1
1Department of Rehabilitation, Japan Baptist Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
Insights
Digital games boost lower limb activity and enjoyment in children with motor disorders. Adding verbal encouragement further enhances enjoyment, aiding rehabilitation efforts.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Digital Health
Background:
- Digital games show promise in pediatric motor disorder rehabilitation.
- Understanding the impact of games and social encouragement on motor tasks is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the immediate effects of digital games and verbal encouragement on lower limb activity and enjoyment in children with motor disorders.
- To assess how these interventions influence motor task performance and psychological engagement.
Main Methods:
- 14 children (4-13 years) with motor disorders (cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder) performed a 30-second foot-stomping task.
- Conditions included baseline, digital game engagement, and game with verbal encouragement.
Main Results:
- Digital game use significantly increased lower limb activity and enjoyment.
- Verbal encouragement enhanced enjoyment but not activity levels.
- Increased activity from games correlated negatively with age and positively with motor impairment severity.
Conclusions:
- Integrating digital games into motor tasks enhances lower limb activity and enjoyment for children with motor disorders.
- Positive social engagement, like verbal encouragement, further boosts enjoyment during rehabilitation activities.
Aims:
The effects of interventions using digital games in the rehabilitation of children with motor disorders have been well-documented. This study examined the immediate effects of games and verbal encouragement from others on lower limb activity and psychological enjoyment during lower limb motor tasks in children with motor disorders.
Methods:
Participants's sample included 14 children, aged 4-13 years, with motor disorders, including cerebral palsy and developmental coordination disorder. The motor task was a 30-s foot-stomping activity. Participants first completed the task under a baseline condition with no stimuli, followed by a game condition in which they performed foot-stomping while engaging in a game. Finally, a game plus verbal encouragement condition was introduced.
Results:
The results revealed that game use increased lower limb activity and enhanced enjoyment levels. The additional effect of verbal encouragement was observed only in the enjoyment levels. The percentage increase in lower limb activity due to game use was negatively correlated with age and positively correlated with the level of motor impairment.
Conclusions:
In the rehabilitation of children with motor disorders, incorporating digital games into motor tasks and adding positive engagement from others can increase lower limb activity and enjoyment during challenging motor tasks.
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