Every year more than seventy-five percent of the 700,000 American victims of stroke suffer motor difficulties as a result of their attack. Now a new study points to a unique method of rehabilitation – virtual reality. As it turns out, video games are not only fun and affordable, but they’re also a terrific tool in helping stroke victims regain their motor skills.
According to the National Stroke Association, a stroke or "brain attack" occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery, or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either happens, brain cells begin to die and that’s when brain damage occurs. Up to three quarters of stroke patients experience motor problems, including weakness, paralysis or difficulty with balance and coordination that can affect their quality of life. Conventional therapy can provide only modest and sometimes delayed effects. But the results of a new study point to speedier and better results. Lead researcher Gustavo Saposnik, a physician at St Michael's Hospital at the University of Toronto, said that novel approaches -- including the use of virtual reality (specifically games) systems -- may help improve motor impairment, activities and social participation. His team of researchers discovered that virtual reality is not only enjoyable for patients but intensifies their improvement. Their findings are published in the online edition of the journal Stroke. To find out whether video games could play a role in stroke rehabilitation, Saposnik's team examined twelve studies that included a total of 195 patients, aged 26 to 88 years, who had suffered a mild to moderate stroke. Each study reported the effects of electronic games on upper arm strength and function. Of these studies, seven were observational and five were randomized trials. In observational studies, there is no control group. In randomized trials, some subjects are given one treatment, while others undergo another treatment or are given a placebo. Stroke patients in the observational studies, who were playing virtual reality games, improved their upper arm strength by 14.7 percent and motor function -- the ability to perform standard tasks -- by 20 percent. Those in the randomized trials who played virtual reality games had a 4.89 times greater chance of improving arm strength, compared with those did not play these games but had standard rehabilitation. The systems used included three traditional video game systems (Glasstron, IREX, PlayStation Eye Toy) and nine virtual reality systems (including Virtual Teacher, CyberGlove, VR Motion, PneuGlove and Wii). Why do video games work so well? Scientists suggest the training, which is challenging, repetitive, task-specific, novel and motivating, spurs on the creation of new brain cell connections. --Robin Westen Robin Westen is ThirdAge’s medical reporter. Check for her daily updates. See what others have to say about this story or leave a comment of your own.
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