Computer Game-Based Telerehabilitation Platform Targeting Manual Dexterity: Exercise Is Fun. “You Are Kidding—Right?”

Sensors, 2021 · DOI: 10.3390/s21175766 · Published: August 27, 2021

Simple Explanation

This paper introduces a computer game-based telerehabilitation platform (GTP) that provides, game-based exercise programs for recovery of manual dexterity and to automatically record and assess a patient’s fine and gross hand motor skills. The GTP organizes space of game interactions into two interrelated categories, physical space, and digital space. The GTP can initially be used in a supervised clinical setting, followed by a transition to function at home and can be monitored by clinician specialists.

Study Duration

16 weeks

Participants

63 children with cerebral palsy in RCT, 10 stroke patients in telerehabilitation trial, and 6 children with cerebral palsy in telerehabilitation trial

Evidence Level

RCT and feasibility studies

Key Findings

1
Both the XG and CG showed signiﬁcant improvements post intervention with medium to large effect sizes in the PDMS-2 grasp and VMI tests scores, as well as the CUE assessment outcome measures
2
Improvements in the PDMS-2 grasp and VMI scores, observed in the XG, were signiﬁcantly greater than those in the CG.
3
The preliminary ﬁndings of the two telerehabilitation pilot studies described above demonstrate feasible assessment and trial procedures, acceptable game-based, task-speciﬁc home training with a high compliance rate and positive outcomes.

Research Summary

There is a need for innovation to improve the engagement and accessibility of rehabilitation programs for children and adults with upper extremity motor impairments due to neurodevelopmental disorders, acquired brain injuries, or spinal cord injuries. Through the application of a miniature inertial-based computer mouse and the wide variety of commercial computer games, the developed GTP can provide engaging task-speciﬁc exercises for the rehabilitation of manual dexterity (object handling and manipulation). Clinical support for home and rural communities, with protocols that can be easily updated, will help increase accessibility to targeted and personalized solutions for patients and achieve the desired training effect.

Practical Implications

Accessibility

Increases accessibility to targeted and personalized rehabilitation solutions.

Engagement

Improves patient engagement through the use of computer games.

Monitoring

Enables automated monitoring and quantification of patients’ motor skills.

Study Limitations

1
One limitation of the GTP is that it requires an IB computer mouse and a computer.
2
Another limitation is that the IB mouse detects angular motion only.
3
There are several ﬁne motor skills that cannot be performed with the GTP approach using the IB mouse such as writing, doing up buttons, tying shoelaces or cutting food.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Neurology