To some, a Wii is a fun way to play virtual sports and video games. Students in a Notre Dame computer science course have found the game system also has the potential to help recovering stroke patients. The students have developed an application for the Wii that could help stroke patients regain their independence.
The students have partnered with Memorial Hospital to try out the "Wiihab" program. For stroke survivors, a key step in rehabilitation is regaining a sense of balance.
“I can tell them all day long, they're not putting enough weight on a leg,” said Sarah Kuzmicz, a Memorial Hospital physical therapist. “But they don't understand because they can't really see it or feel it. With the Wii system, it gives them the feedback. It shows them on the screen, ‘Wow! I'm really not putting very much weight on my leg.’”
Wiihab uses a regular Wii game system, a Wii Fit board, and connects to a computer through Bluetooth.
“I like it. It's fun doing it on the Wii Fit board,” said Carol Smith, a patient recovering from a stroke. “You can see your progress day to day when you watch the screen.”
“Most of them really get into it,” said Kuzmicz. “Even if they’ve never played the Wii system before, a lot of times they’ve seen their grandchildren play, so it kind of peeks their interests a lit bit.”
Kuzmicz said it also distracts patients from the idea of using a weak leg. “A lot of times patients have a fear of putting weight on a leg, so if you engage their mind in the game side of it, sometimes they’ll do more than they’d be willing to do if they were just focusing on that leg.”
“When I come here and see patients working with it, it makes me happy that my work can make a difference and help these patients to improve,” said Michael Kennedy, a Notre Dame grad student who is developing the program.
He uses feedback from the therapists to improve the software. Eventually, Aaron Striegel, the associate professor who teaches the Notre Dame course, hopes to see the system used in rehab centers across the country.
“It’s gone very well,” said Striegel. “The therapists have been delighted with the work. We’ve been excited to see how the patients interact with it. It’s been a real treat to see how everyone’s embraced the project and enjoyed it.”
Striegel said in the future the program could be developed for use with amputees learning to use a prosthetic leg or knee surgery patients.
Because of the low cost of the system, Striegel also foresees patients being able to take a Wiihab system home, enabling therapists to continue monitoring their progress.
0 comments:
Post a Comment