By Dr. James Aw
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Some of the most interesting academic work on exergames is happening right here in Canada. Dr. Gustavo Saposnik is a neurologist and researcher at the Stroke Outcomes Research unit at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Last year he published in the journal Stroke a study that examined whether it’s possible to use Nintendo Wii in the rehabilitation of stroke patients who have trouble moving their arms.
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Such patients typically engage in some form of recreational therapy as part of treatments, involving tasks that require fine-motor movements, such as playing Jenga, card games or bingo. Saposnik followed one group who conducted recreational therapy in the traditional way. Another group spent their recreational time playing Wii sports games. After eight sessions over two weeks, the Wii group performed significantly better at agility tests. Saposnik cautions that the study was only a proof-of-concept trial, with a sample size of only 16 participants. But the results are exciting enough that he’s about to lead a much larger, similar study at St. Mike’s Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.
This larger study will last 18 months and will include 140 participants. If Saposnik’s concept study is any indication, it may turn out that the taxing feats of agility required to play Nintendo Wii games can actually help “rewire” certain damaged portions of a stroke patient’s brain. Wow. Virtual exercise could actually be healing, too!
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