Feasibility of gaming console exercise and its effect on endurance, gait and balance in people with an acquired brain injury

Abstract

Objective: To determine feasibility of gaming console exercise and its effect on endurance, gait and balance in people following acquired brain injury (ABI).

Method: Twenty-one people following ABI were recruited to an 8-week randomized cross-over trial where 4 weeks of gaming console exercise in addition to usual therapy and 4 weeks of usual therapy alone were received. Feasibility measures included compliance, session duration and adverse events. Measures included endurance measured using a 6-minute walk test, spatiotemporal gait parameters (GAITRite) and balance using Balance Outcome Measure for Elder Rehabilitation (BOOMER). Motivation was measured using the Change Assessment Questionnaire.

Results: Compliance with gaming console exercise was high (99%), the majority of sessions reached duration target (82%) and there were no adverse events. There were small, though non-significant increases in 6-minute walk distance (18 metres, 95% CI = −33 to 69), gait speed (0.11 m s⁻¹, 95% CI = −0.18 to 0.29) and balance compared to after usual therapy after gaming console exercise.

Conclusions: Gaming console exercise appears feasible in people with ABI. Four weeks of gaming console exercise in addition to usual therapy appears to result in similar improvements in endurance, gait and balance compared to usual therapy alone and may enhance active engagement in therapy.

• Brain injury
• rehabilitation
• virtual reality
• Wii-Fit

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the staff at the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital without which this study would not have been possible. Metro South Health Service District and The University of Queensland Human Research and Ethics Committees approved this study. All participants gave written informed consent before data collection began. Trial Registration: ACTRN12610000875000.