Occupational therapists work with individuals across the lifespan to promote health and wellness. “Occupational therapy promotes health and wellbeing through active involvement in meaningful occupations. By helping c...Occupational therapists work with individuals across the lifespan to promote health and wellness. “Occupational therapy promotes health and wellbeing through active involvement in meaningful occupations. By helping clients eliminate barriers, enhance their self-management skills, improve their performance of daily activities and adopt healthy habits and routines, occupational therapy unlocks the door to participation across the lifespan” (AOTA, 2010). In today’s world, health and wellness-related services are in demand for those aged 65 and older. As life expectancy rates continue to rise, there is an increase in concern for the field of occupational therapy to find a successful and efficient way to meet the needs of the growing number of older adults (National Center for Health Statistics, 2006). The idea that physical activity can be a beneficial occupation in the elderly has been examined and proved effective as a means of enhancing the quality of life in this population. “Although functional impairments due to the aging process seem to be inevitable, functional limitations due to an inactive lifestyle might be reversed. Indeed, it has been suggested that physically active lifestyles may contribute to improving or maintaining health and wellness” (Fletcher, Gulanick, & Braun, 2005). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two different physical activity programs on individuals aged 65 and older. The variables that were examined were functional skills (activities of daily living), balance skills, and overall upper extremity function. This study looked at two forms of physical activity to determine their individual effects on functional skills, balance, and overall upper extremity function in this population. The two physical activity interventions were the Nintendo™ Wii gaming system and a videotaped exercise routine.展开更多
Two key characteristics of all virtual reality applications are interaction and immersion. Systemic interaction is achieved through a variety of multisensory channels （hearing, sight, touch, and smell）, permitting t...Two key characteristics of all virtual reality applications are interaction and immersion. Systemic interaction is achieved through a variety of multisensory channels （hearing, sight, touch, and smell）, permitting the user to interact with the virtual world in real time. Immersion is the degree to which a person can feel wrapped in the virtual world through a defined interface. Virtual real- ity interface devices such as the Nintendo~ Wii and its peripheral nunchuks-balance board, head mounted displays and joystick allow interaction and immersion in unreal environments created from computer software. Virtual environments are highly interactive, generating great activation of visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems during the execution of a video game. In addi- tion, they are entertaining and safe for the user. Recently, incorporating therapeutic purposes in virtual reality interface devices has allowed them to be used for the rehabilitation of neurological patients, e.g., balance training in older adults and dynamic stability in healthy participants. The improvements observed in neurological diseases （chronic stroke and cerebral palsy） have been shown by changes in the reorganization of neural networks in patients＇ brain, along with better hand function and other skills, contributing to their quality of life. The data generated by such studies could substantially contribute to physical rehabilitation strategies.展开更多
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Nintendo Wii training in quality of life in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients when compared to traditional physical therapy (PT). Methods: A randomized, single-blinded trial wit...Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Nintendo Wii training in quality of life in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients when compared to traditional physical therapy (PT). Methods: A randomized, single-blinded trial with 2 parallel arms was performed in a referral center for movement disorders in North-eastern, Brazil. Forty-four PD outpatients that fulfilled the eligibility criteria with mild to moderate motor impairment were randomized. Both groups executed a warm up session for 10 minutes that consisted of trunk flexion, extension and rotation, associated with upper and lower limbs stretching. The PT group followed a program that consisted of trunk and limb mobilisation, balance, muscle strengthening, rhythmic movement, postural alignment, double-task execution, bimanual tasks, and gait training. The Nintendo Wii group executed a sequence of tasks according to a previously established protocol, with similar training exercises. Duration of exercises was 40 minutes per session, 3 days per week for 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was the total score obtained in the Parkinson’s disease quality of life questionnaire (PDQ-39) translated from English to Brazilian Portuguese by Oxford outcomes. Secondary endpoints were the scores achieved by each group in the following domains of PDQ-39 scale: mobility, activities of daily living (ADL), emotional well-being, stigma, social support, cognition, communication and bodily discomfort. Assessments were performed before and after intervention in both groups with subjects in the “on” period. Results: Subjects in the Nintendo Wii group showed greater improvement in the PDQ-39 total score when compared to PT group (p = 0.01). Also, significant differences were observed in ADL, stigma, social support and communication when comparing subjects before and after intervention in the Nintendo Wii group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results achieved in this trial suggest that rehabilitation using Nintendo Wii may have beneficial effects in quality of life of PD subjects, when compared to traditional PT. Further larger randomised controlled-trials are necessary to reassure these results.展开更多
文摘Occupational therapists work with individuals across the lifespan to promote health and wellness. “Occupational therapy promotes health and wellbeing through active involvement in meaningful occupations. By helping clients eliminate barriers, enhance their self-management skills, improve their performance of daily activities and adopt healthy habits and routines, occupational therapy unlocks the door to participation across the lifespan” (AOTA, 2010). In today’s world, health and wellness-related services are in demand for those aged 65 and older. As life expectancy rates continue to rise, there is an increase in concern for the field of occupational therapy to find a successful and efficient way to meet the needs of the growing number of older adults (National Center for Health Statistics, 2006). The idea that physical activity can be a beneficial occupation in the elderly has been examined and proved effective as a means of enhancing the quality of life in this population. “Although functional impairments due to the aging process seem to be inevitable, functional limitations due to an inactive lifestyle might be reversed. Indeed, it has been suggested that physically active lifestyles may contribute to improving or maintaining health and wellness” (Fletcher, Gulanick, & Braun, 2005). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two different physical activity programs on individuals aged 65 and older. The variables that were examined were functional skills (activities of daily living), balance skills, and overall upper extremity function. This study looked at two forms of physical activity to determine their individual effects on functional skills, balance, and overall upper extremity function in this population. The two physical activity interventions were the Nintendo™ Wii gaming system and a videotaped exercise routine.
基金financially supported by the National Fund for Health Research and Development(FONIS) of the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research(CONICYT),No.Sa11i2018a grant from Research Department of the University of Talca
文摘Two key characteristics of all virtual reality applications are interaction and immersion. Systemic interaction is achieved through a variety of multisensory channels （hearing, sight, touch, and smell）, permitting the user to interact with the virtual world in real time. Immersion is the degree to which a person can feel wrapped in the virtual world through a defined interface. Virtual real- ity interface devices such as the Nintendo~ Wii and its peripheral nunchuks-balance board, head mounted displays and joystick allow interaction and immersion in unreal environments created from computer software. Virtual environments are highly interactive, generating great activation of visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems during the execution of a video game. In addi- tion, they are entertaining and safe for the user. Recently, incorporating therapeutic purposes in virtual reality interface devices has allowed them to be used for the rehabilitation of neurological patients, e.g., balance training in older adults and dynamic stability in healthy participants. The improvements observed in neurological diseases （chronic stroke and cerebral palsy） have been shown by changes in the reorganization of neural networks in patients＇ brain, along with better hand function and other skills, contributing to their quality of life. The data generated by such studies could substantially contribute to physical rehabilitation strategies.
文摘Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Nintendo Wii training in quality of life in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients when compared to traditional physical therapy (PT). Methods: A randomized, single-blinded trial with 2 parallel arms was performed in a referral center for movement disorders in North-eastern, Brazil. Forty-four PD outpatients that fulfilled the eligibility criteria with mild to moderate motor impairment were randomized. Both groups executed a warm up session for 10 minutes that consisted of trunk flexion, extension and rotation, associated with upper and lower limbs stretching. The PT group followed a program that consisted of trunk and limb mobilisation, balance, muscle strengthening, rhythmic movement, postural alignment, double-task execution, bimanual tasks, and gait training. The Nintendo Wii group executed a sequence of tasks according to a previously established protocol, with similar training exercises. Duration of exercises was 40 minutes per session, 3 days per week for 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was the total score obtained in the Parkinson’s disease quality of life questionnaire (PDQ-39) translated from English to Brazilian Portuguese by Oxford outcomes. Secondary endpoints were the scores achieved by each group in the following domains of PDQ-39 scale: mobility, activities of daily living (ADL), emotional well-being, stigma, social support, cognition, communication and bodily discomfort. Assessments were performed before and after intervention in both groups with subjects in the “on” period. Results: Subjects in the Nintendo Wii group showed greater improvement in the PDQ-39 total score when compared to PT group (p = 0.01). Also, significant differences were observed in ADL, stigma, social support and communication when comparing subjects before and after intervention in the Nintendo Wii group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results achieved in this trial suggest that rehabilitation using Nintendo Wii may have beneficial effects in quality of life of PD subjects, when compared to traditional PT. Further larger randomised controlled-trials are necessary to reassure these results.
