Potential of the Nintendo Wii™ as a rehabilitation tool for children with cerebral palsy in a developing country: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the possibility of using the Nintendo Wii™ as a rehabilitation tool for children with cerebral palsy (CP) in a developing country, and determine whether there is potential for an impact on their gross motor function.


METHODS
Pilot study with a pre-post-test design.


METHODS
Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Center, Jamaica, West Indies.


METHODS
Seven children, aged 6 to 12 years, with dyskinetic CP were recruited for the study. One child dropped out at week 4.


METHODS
Training with the Nintendo Wii was conducted twice weekly for 6 weeks. The games used were Wii Sports Boxing, Baseball and Tennis.


METHODS
Percentage attendance over the 6-week period, percentage of sessions for which the full duration of training was completed, and changes in gross motor function using the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM).


RESULTS
All six participants who completed the study had 100% attendance, and all were able to complete the full 45 minutes of training at every session. Those who were wheelchair bound participated in two games, whilst those who were ambulant played three games. The mean GMFM score increased from 62.83 [standard deviation (SD) 24.86] to 70.17 (SD 23.67).


CONCLUSIONS
The Nintendo Wii has the potential for use as a rehabilitation tool in the management of children with CP. Clinical trials should be conducted in this area to determine whether this could be an effective tool for improving gross motor function.
Section of Physical Therapy, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.
C
C
Gordon
S
S
Roopchand-Martin
A
A
Gregg
D001484:Baseball; D001914:Boxing; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013715:Tennis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018910:Video Games; D063367:Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy / Q000379:methods*