The Association between Visual Attention and Body Movement-Controlled Video Games Balance and Mobility in Older Adults (original) (raw)
Related papers
Active video gaming to improve balance in the elderly
Studies in health technology and informatics, 2011
The combination of active video gaming and exercise (exergaming) is suggested to improve elderly people's balance, thereby decreasing fall risk. Exergaming has been shown to increase motivation during exercise therapy, due to the enjoyable and challenging nature, which could support long-term adherence for exercising balance. However, scarce evidence is available of the direct effects of exergaming on postural control. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the effect of a six-week videogame-based exercise program aimed at improving balance in elderly people. Task performance and postural control were examined using an interrupted time series design. Results of multilevel analyses showed that performance on the dot task improved within the first two weeks of training. Postural control improved during the intervention. After the intervention period task performance and balance were better than before the intervention. Results of this study show that healthy elderly can ben...
Exergaming for elderly: effects of different types of game feedback on performance of a balance task
Studies in health technology and informatics, 2012
Balance training to improve postural control in elderly can contribute to the prevention of falls. Video games that require body movements have the potential to improve balance. However, research about the effects of type of visual feedback (i.e. the exergame) on the quality of movement and experienced workout intensity is scarce. In this study twelve healthy older and younger subjects performed anterior-posterior or mediolateral oscillations on a wobble board, in three conditions: no feedback, real-time visual feedback, and real-time visual feedback with a competitive game element. The Elderly moved slower, less accurately and more irregularly than younger people. Both feedback conditions ensured a more controlled movement technique on the wobble-board and increased experienced workout intensity. The participants enjoyed the attention demanding competitive game element, but this game did not improve balance performance more than interacting with a game that incorporated visual feed...
Feasibility of Interactive Video Games for Influence on Balance in Institutionalized Elderly People
2015
Purpose: The purpose is related to the assumption that the application of interactive video games will positively affect the functional balance reactions in institutionalized older individuals. Material and Methods: Ten institutionalized elderly people with an average age of 80.6 years ± 7.25, two men and eight women were included. All of them had to meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The intervention program included interactive video games, for 5 days per week, for one month. Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go and Mini Mental State Examination tests were considered. Results: Including commercial games in physical therapy sessions have a positive effect on dynamic postural control and functional ability in institutionalized elderly. Application of virtual reality possibly maintains cognitive function. Comparison between initial and final measurement revealed statistically significant differences for Berg Balance Scale and Mini Mental State Examination (p<0.005) and for ...
2017
Impaired postural stability increases the risk of falls. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the lasting effects of a training intervention using a Nintendo Wii system on impaired postural stability in an elderly population. Thirty-two elderly subjects (24 females and 4 males) from two independent living communities were divided into Wii Fit (n = 15, 9 therapy sessions using Wii Fit balance board) and control (n = 13) groups. All participants performed three different stances on force plates, which are considered the gold standard for measuring balance performance. Each stance was measured three times in the following sequence: a natural bipedal stance with eyes open, a bipedal stance with a narrow base, and a natural bipedal stance with eyes closed. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and LSD Fisher's post hoc tests were used with the level of significance set at 5%. Effect size was determined using ŋ². The results showed a significant difference in the centre of p...
Cureus
Elderly populations who engage in consistent, moderate-intensity exercise are more physically active and have better health than elders who have a sedentary lifestyle. Ageing causes the quality and number of muscle fibres to decline, leaving them with less endurance and ability to effectively work in synchronization and less strength and stamina to support weight or keep a sound body system. Medical practitioners often use the word "balance" across many therapeutic disciplines. Balance is commonly used in conjunction with other ideas like stability and postural control. The capacity of the physiological systems to keep the centre of mass within the base of support during static and dynamic postures and to govern physical alignment in an upright position is known as "balance." Impaired balance has a wide range of effects that can harm physical functionality. Falls in the elderly can result in hip fractures and significant morbidity and mortality. Balance dysfunction is one of the primary reasons behind decreased mobility and postural control in the elderly. It mainly affects the ability to walk and to maintain balance control in everyday life. Virtual reality (VR) can be defined as an interaction model between humans and computers that allows conventional computer-based training. It is a novel and expanding technology combining various characteristics like interactivity, independence, and rehabilitation training. These technologies replicate a seemingly natural environment. A fun and engaging aspect of VR technology is the Wii Fit games. These are enjoyable versions of the fundamental exercise and are widely used. A physiotherapy intervention programme can be structured using Wii Fit games to perform balance exercises. These games are widely used for balance training in the geriatric population.
Is Movement Better? Comparing Sedentary and Motion-Based Game Controls for Older Adults
GI 2013
Providing cognitive and physical stimulation for older adults is critical for their well-being. Video games offer the opportunity of engaging seniors, and research has shown a variety of positive effects of motion-based video games for older adults. However, little is known about the suitability of motion-based game controls for older adults and how their use is affected by age-related changes. In this paper, we present a study evaluating sedentary and motion-based game controls with a focus on differences between younger and older adults. Our results show that older adults can apply motion-based game controls efficiently, and that they enjoy motion-based interaction. We present design implications based on our study, and demonstrate how our findings can be applied both to motion-based game design and to general interaction design for older adults.
Sustainability
This study demonstrates how playing a well-designed multitasking motion video game in a virtual reality (VR) environment can positively impact the cognitive and physical health of older players. We developed a video game that combines cognitive and physical training in a VR environment. The impact of playing the game was measured through a four-week longitudinal experiment. Twenty healthy older adults were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (i.e., game training) or a control group (i.e., no contact). Participants played three 45-min sessions per week completing cognitive tests for attention, working memory, reasoning and a test for physical balance before and after the intervention. Results showed that compared to the control group, the game group showed significant improvements in working memory and a potential for enhancing reasoning and balance ability. Furthermore, while the older adults enjoyed playing the video game, ability enhancements were associated with the...