A Wii Bit of Fun: A Novel Platform to Deliver Effective Balance Training to Older Adults (original) (raw)
Related papers
Improving Balance of Older Adults by Walking, Education, and Wii™ Bowling
The purpose of this study was to determine if balance education, walking, and Wii™ bowling can reduce the risk of falls in older adults. Seventeen older adults (84.59±4.65 years old), 65 years and older, who were at a risk for falls were recruited for the balance intervention program held twice a week for 8 weeks. Each session consisted 20 minutes of balance education in topics such as medication side-effects, vision and lighting, environmental hazards, footwear, sleep, hydration, and nutrition; 20 minutes of walking at the subject’s own pace; and 20 minutes of Wii™ bowling which included standing up from a chair, walking 3 meters, bowling, walking back 3 meters, and sitting down; twice a week for 8 weeks. Participants were compared to 10 participants in a control group (83.40±6.75 years old). Participants in the intervention group had significant improvement on the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Timed “Up and Go” Test (TUG) compared to the participants in the control group (BBS p=.001; TUG p=.003). The Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale scores were not significant between groups (p=.725). At follow-up testing the BBS scores were maintained (p=.401). The program improved balance and reduced fall risk for older adults in this study
Exergaming: Interactive balance training in healthy community-dwelling older adults
Exergaming is a term used for videogame exercise. the aim of this study was to examine the training effect of an exergame that relies on the movements of a dynamic balance board. nine healthy elderly subjects participated in a six-week intervention in which they played balance games three times a week. Before, after and during the intervention phase balance was assessed with the figure-of-eight test, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the tandem and one-leg stance, both performed with eyes open and closed. Intervention effects were examined using multilevel modeling statistics. Predominantly, the dynamic balance performance, measured by the figure-of-eight and the BBS, improved (p <0.05). Balance improvement was dependent on level of performance at the start of training; participants with initially low balance scores improved more across time than the highest scoring participants.
Wii Fit for Balance Training in Elderly: A Systematic Review
Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, 2021
Falls due to poor balance are common in elderly people and can cause fractures, head injury, soft tissue trauma; and may even result in death from these complications. Balance training is one of the strategies used to prevent falls among the elderly population. Wii Fit is a new technological approach of balance training in the community dwelling elderly. The primary aim of this systematic review is to study the effectiveness of Wii Fit as a balance-training tool in older adults using various balance and fall risk assessment scales as outcome measures. Using selected keywords in English only, online literature search was conducted from 2009 to 2019. The initial search resulted in 312 articles. After screening, 14 full text articles were included for the final review and qualitative analysis. There is evidence that Wii Fit plus is a useful, cost-effective, userfriendly, less time consuming, home-based approach for reducing the risk of fall and improving the balance and physical performance in older adults. There are few or no adverse events of using Wii Fit. The commonly used outcome measures were 8 foot up and go test, activities-specific balance confidence scale, Berg balance scale, falls efficacy scale, postural sway, times up and go test and static and dynamic balance assessment tool.
2013
Seniors are a growing percentage of the population in the U.S. estimated to reach 19% of the overall population by the year 2030. More than one third of seniors experience a fall each year. This is often due to decreased balance. This combination of decreased balance and increased falls lead to social, financial, and functional challenges for seniors and their caregivers. A significant body of research has been dedicated to finding an intervention that will ameliorate the problem. To date there have been interventions identified but these are often unavailable, cost prohibitive, or difficult to access. The purpose of this research study was to assess the effect of a low-cost balance training system (Wii Fit) on the functional balance and balance confidence of seniors. Four participants trained on the Wii Fit system 3x/week for 30 minutes per session until improvement was noted for three consecutive assessments. Functional balance was assessed weekly using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up and Go (TUAG) iv test. Additionally, the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale was given prior to and following the study to assess participants' perceived balance confidence. Qualitative data on the Wii Fit's motivational qualities were collected post-intervention from the participants via interview. The study design was a single subject, multiplebaseline design. Each participant demonstrated improved functional balance as assessed by BBS and TUAG. Further, positive trends were noted on the ABC scale. Qualitative data gathered in a semistructured interview also demonstrated generally positive feelings regarding ease of use and motivational qualities of the Wii Fit, although some participants viewed the system as difficult to operate. The results of this study indicate that the Wii Fit gaming system may be an effective in-home, inexpensive tool that can be used by seniors to improve functional balance and balance confidence. Ease of use and motivational qualities, however, were noted to be somewhat controversial.
Exergaming for balance training of elderly: state of the art and future developments
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 2013
Fall injuries are responsible for physical dysfunction, significant disability, and loss of independence among elderly. Poor postural control is one of the major risk factors for falling but can be trained in fall prevention programs. These however suffer from low therapy adherence, particularly if prevention is the goal. To provide a fun and motivating training environment for elderly, exercise games, or exergames, have been studied as balance training tools in the past years. The present paper reviews the effects of exergame training programs on postural control of elderly reported so far. Additionally we aim to provide an in-depth discussion of technologies and outcome measures utilized in exergame studies. Thirteen papers were included in the analysis. Most of the reviewed studies reported positive results with respect to improvements in balance ability after a training period, yet few reached significant levels. Outcome measures for quantification of postural control are under continuous dispute and no gold standard is present. Clinical measures used in the studies reviewed are well validated yet only give a global indication of balance ability. Instrumented measures were unable to detect small changes in balance ability as they are mainly based on calculating summary statistics, thereby ignoring the time-varying structure of the signals. Both methods only allow for measuring balance after the exergame intervention program. Current developments in sensor technology allow for accurate registration of movements and rapid analysis of signals. We propose to quantify the time-varying structure of postural control during gameplay using low-cost sensor systems. Continuous monitoring of balance ability leaves the user unaware of the measurements and allows for generating user-specific exergame training programs and feedback, both during one game and in timeframes of weeks or months. This approach is unique and unlocks the as of yet untapped potential of exergames as balance training tools for community dwelling elderly.
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.