Abstract
BackgroundPatients with traumatic brain injury often have balance and attentive disorders. Video game therapy (VGT) has been proposed as a new intervention to improve mobility and attention through a reward-learning approach. In this pilot randomized, controlled trial, we tested the effects of VGT, compared with a balance platform therapy (BPT), on balance, mobility and selective attention in chronic traumatic brain injury patients.MethodsWe enrolled chronic traumatic brain injury patients (n = 21) that randomly received VGT or BPT for 3 sessions per week for 6 weeks. The clinical outcome measures included: i) the Community Balance & Mobility Scale (CB&M); ii) the Unified Balance Scale (UBS); iii) the Timed Up and Go test (TUG); iv) static balance and v) selective visual attention evaluation (Go/Nogo task).ResultsBoth groups improved in CB&M scores, but only the VGT group increased on the UBS and TUG with a between-group significance (p < 0.05). Selective attention improved significantly in the VGT group (p < 0.01).ConclusionsVideo game therapy is an option for the management of chronic traumatic brain injury patients to ameliorate balance and attention deficits.Trial registrationNCT01883830, April 5 2013.
Highlights
Patients with traumatic brain injury often have balance and attentive disorders
The inclusion criteria included: (i) an age between 18 and 70 years; (ii) a diagnosis of chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) (>12 months); (iii) a balance deficit identified by a Community Balance & Mobility Scale (CB&M) score < 65
Balance and mobility clinical tests For the CB&M, we found a significant treatment effect in both groups
Summary
Patients with traumatic brain injury often have balance and attentive disorders. Video game therapy (VGT) has been proposed as a new intervention to improve mobility and attention through a reward-learning approach. In this pilot randomized, controlled trial, we tested the effects of VGT, compared with a balance platform therapy (BPT), on balance, mobility and selective attention in chronic traumatic brain injury patients. Selective attention is pivotal for everyday life to enhance the stimuli that are relevant and Straudi et al BMC Neurology (2017) 17:86 rehabilitation in TBI cannot be translated into useful evidence-based recommendations, and the use of new interventions such as virtual reality (VR) has been encouraged [10]. Gaming therapy can be delivered at home, promoting self-management strategies to improve motor function and long-term outcomes [19]
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