Effect of Video Games for Rehabilitation on Mobility in Autonomous Older People

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Autonomous elderly are generally healthy persons in stable clinical status, who do not have any exacerbations, despite of the presence of chronic polymorbidity. Video games for rehabilitation (VGR) could provide more fun and emotion in the routine physiotherapy (PT) sessions and to attract more people stay physically active. AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of self-designed 3D camera VGR on mobility and motor abilities in generally healthy older people. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The type of the research is an experimental single-centered study, pre-test and post- test design, conducted at a physical rehabilitation outpatient center. The study is conducted with fifty healthy older people, divided into two groups. The assignment into two groups was according to the preference of the participants to attend video games after routine PT sessions for 7 weeks, 3 times weekly. The experimental group (EG) included 24 women (mean age 76.75 ± 6.89) and the control group consisted of 26 women (mean age 73.69 ± 6.89). The persons were allocated according to their willingness to participate in the study and inclusion (age above 65 years, cooperative, agreeing to participate, and willing to sign a consent form) and exclusion criteria (current exacerbation of a chronic disease, sudden onset of an acute illness, or trauma). The effect on the calf muscle mass, balance, and gait in both groups after the intervention, was evaluated by calf centimetry, Romberg test, functional reach test, 5 times sit-to-stand test, and 10-m walk test. RESULTS: The applied video games positively affected the functional mobility, strength, and endurance of the lower limbs in the EG. Significant differences between the groups were found regarding static standing balance (p < 0.01), functional balance (p < 0.05), and maximum speed gait (p < 0.05) assessed by Mann–Whitney U-test, Wilcoxon, and Student’s t-test. CONCLUSION: The present self-designed video game applied as an additional intervention was more effective than conventional PT alone in mobility, balance, and gait in apparently healthy older people.