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Scientists Looking at 'Wii-hab' to Treat Parkinson's

Posted June 12, 2009 by James Brightman

Since the Wii craze began nearly three years ago, we've heard countless stories of the console being used in rehabilitation settings. Whether it's for recovery from surgery or just getting seniors in living facilities to be more active, the Wii's motion controls have been found to be beneficial in many cases. Now a new report from the Medical College of Georgia suggests that playing with the Wii may provide some relief for people suffering from Parkinson's Disease.  The study was funded by a $45,000 grant from the National Parkinson's Foundation.  

image courtesy of Sydney Morning Herald

Parkinson's is a degenerative disease that typically impairs movement and can also lead to muscle rigidity and tremors. Regular exercise or physical therapy is helpful in general to people who have Parkinson's, so it's not very surprising that playing with the Wii could help. 

"The Wii allows patients to work in a virtual environment that's safe, fun and motivational," says Dr. Ben Herz, program director and assistant professor in the School of Allied Health Sciences Department of Occupational Therapy. "The games require visual perception, eye-hand coordination, figure-ground relationships and sequenced movement, so it's a huge treatment tool from an occupational therapy perspective."

Dr. Herz presented his preliminary findings at the fifth annual Games for Health Conference in Boston this week. As part of the study at the Medical College of Georgia, 20 Parkinson’s patients spent an hour playing the Wii three times a week for four weeks. They played two games each of tennis and bowling and one game of boxing; Dr. Herz was intrigued by the progress of some patients. "By the middle of the study, we actually had a number of people who could [defeat] their opponent out in the first round, which amazed us," he said. 

Parkinson's is thought to be caused by a lack of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Video games and exercise may help people generate this neurotransmitter, however, which is why Dr. Herz believes the Wii has had a very positive impact on patients. Not only did the people in the study see significant improvements in rigidity, movement, fine motor skills and energy levels, but they also reduced their depression levels to zero (for most participants).

Dr. Herz is now a huge believer in the power of video games. Now that he's tested out Wii Sports, he's looking to test the Wii Fit balance board next. "Game systems are the future of rehab," he says. "About 60 percent of the study participants decided to buy a Wii for themselves. That speaks volumes for how this made them feel."

IndustryGamers will be curious to see if Microsoft or Sony can get involved in rehab situations now as well.  Microsoft's Project Natal and Sony's motion technology could be very useful for a variety of applications, and it would be a smart move for both companies to reach out to the medical community. 

James Brightman has been covering the games industry since 2003 and has been an avid gamer ever since the days of Atari and Intellivision. He was previously the EIC of GameDaily Biz.