Affiliations: [a] Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada | [b] Medical Services, Grandview Children’s Centre, Oshawa, ON, Canada | [c] Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catherines, ON, Canada
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Caroline Kassee, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON, L1H 7K4, Canada. Tel.: +1 905 447 3965; E-mail: carolinekassee@gmail.com.
Abstract: This pilot study compared a Nintendo Wii intervention to single-joint resistance training for the upper limb in children ages 7 to 12 with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP). Children were randomized to Wii training (n= 3), or resistance training (n= 3) and trained at home for 6 weeks. Pre, post and 4-week follow-up measures were collected. Outcome measures were the Melbourne Assessment (MA2), and ABILHAND-Kids, and grip strength. Compliance, motivation and feasibility of each intervention was explored using daily logbook responses and questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used. Three children improved in the MA2, two of which were in the Wii training group. Improvements in the ABILHAND-Kids were minimal for all participants. Grip strength improvements were observed in 3 participants, two of which were in the resistance training group. The Wii training group reported higher compliance and more consistently positive responses to motivation and feasibility questions. Therefore, Wii training may be an effective home-based rehabilitation strategy, and is worth exploring in a larger trial. Implications of Wii training in the context of motivation theory are discussed.
Keywords: Hemiplegia, cerebral palsy, rehabilitation, virtual reality, exergaming, paediatric rehabilitation, developmental disabilities, active video games, motivation theory
