The Nintendo Wii as a tool for neurocognitive rehabilitation

"The Nintendo Wii as a tool for neurocognitive rehabilitation, training and health promotion" - Tamires Marinho Pessoa and al, 2013

Results

Published in ...

Self-image

Cerebro Vascular Accidents

Motor Behavior

The Computers in Human Behavior Journal

By the Laboratory of Panic & Respiration

By the Institute of Psychiatry

By the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

By the INCT Translational Medicine (CNPq), Brazil

Impact factor : 2,880

Introduction

Virtual Technology and Nintendo Wii (NW) presentation

NW activities produce physical benefits to the postural stability, mobility, coordination, and a distraction from pain as well as psychosocial benefits, such as social engagement and self-esteem.

The NW allows to be an effective and safe alternative to promote the recovery of the upper limb by post-CVA patients of various ages because they are an augmentation of the energy expenditure and balance training.

Participants who created an avatar projecting an ideal self-image, reported higher degrees of interaction and satisfaction with the game.

It’s a symbolic representation of them in the virtual environment.

The Wii console was first commercialized in 2006 and

has a technology similar to virtual reality technology.

It's a joystick containing a accelerometer that records

physical movements and gives data from the Wii games.

The aim of the article is to analyze how the NW games have been used in the neuropsychiatric field, especially for cognitive rehabilitation.

Introduction

Results

Public

Rehabilitation

Sclerosis

Cognition

Studies have proved that NW help people:

- Depressed people: the console helps them to relieve frustrations, to learn relaxation techniques and to develop their own emotional regulation.

- Elderly people: it decreases the falls risks and increases rehabilitation.

- Teenagers: small increase in physical activity and temporally turn off problems of everyday life.

Two studies presented evaluations and indicated greater physical balance and strength. The scores of procedural memory components also increased.

Methods

The results of cognitive studies with the NW are still contradictory and further research in this area is needed. Video games should be considered as a tool in current rehabilitation programs and as a motivational factor that facilitates program adherence.

In childrens and adolescents with Down syndrom, a significant increase response to the virtual environment

by member's action could be observed such as lowering hyperactive behavior and improving maintenance of head posture.

Research related

to mental health

and involvement

of the NW

MARCH 2013

48 articles were selected for the review

Discussion and Conclusion

PubMed

and

Psycinfo

Web of Knowledge (ISI)

Thanks for your attention !

And go play ....

Despite the positive initial results, further studies are required to provide a better evaluation of video game usage in therapeutic programs.

The results have shown that the NW is a potentially useful tool in some therapeutic treatments and can be used with people of diverse social statuses and tastes.

The Nintendo Wii is a great alternative of Virtual Reality System and can be employed by many professionals.

Questions & Answers

What is the aim of this article?

In which sector the NW is used?

For what kind of public is it helpfull?

What are the goals of this console?

Have you already used video games in your internship ?