Video Game–Based Exercises for Balance Rehabilitation: A Single-Subject Design

Betker AL, Szturm T, Moussavi ZK, Nett C. Video game–based exercises for balance rehabilitation: a single-subject design.ObjectivesTo investigate whether coupling foot center of pressure (COP)–controlled video games to standing balance exercises will improve dynamic balance control and to determine whether the motivational and challenging aspects of the video games would increase a subject’s desire to perform the exercises and complete the rehabilitation process.DesignCase study, pre- and postexercise.SettingUniversity hospital outpatient clinic.ParticipantsA young adult with excised cerebellar tumor, 1 middle-aged adult with single right cerebrovascular accident, and 1 middle-aged adult with traumatic brain injury.InterventionA COP-controlled, video game–based exercise system.Main Outcome MeasuresThe following were calculated during 12 different tasks: the number of falls, range of COP excursion, and COP path length.ResultsPostexercise, subjects exhibited a lower fall count, decreased COP excursion limits for some tasks, increased practice volume, and increased attention span during training.ConclusionsThe COP-controlled video game–based exercise regime motivated subjects to increase their practice volume and attention span during training. This in turn improved subjects’ dynamic balance control.