Nintendo has been sneaking exercise into their consoles for years. Withthe advent of the Wii and its games like Wii Sports and, of course, theWii Fit, video games have slowly been growing into something much moreactive. Nintendo has even created a pedometer for a new version ofPokmon DS. However, scientists are taking the idea of active videogames to a new level, using Wii Sports as a unique treatment for peoplesuffering from Parkinsons disease. Much to this writers delight, thetherapy is gaining notoriety under the name of Wii-hab.


Presentedat the fifth annual Games for Health Conference, researchers from theMedical College of Georgia (MCG) showed how just four weeks of playexacted marked improvements in patients suffering from Parkinsons atvarying degrees of severity. Using games that require finesse inbilateral movement, eye-hand coordination, and figure-groundrelationship is an ideal way to help a person afflicted with a diseasethat impairs motor skills. Playing rounds of Wii tennis, bowling, andboxing three times a week for a month was all the longer it took to seechanges.

Dr. Ben Hertz, a director of Occupational Therapy atMCG, explained that participants showed significant improvements inrigidity, movement, fine motor skills and energy levels. Perhaps mostimpressively, most participants' depression levels decreased to zero.[MCG] Depression is a major impact factor in Parkinsons, with at leasthalf of the patients reporting the mental illness.

Noneurological studies have been done to solidify the reasons behind theimprovement. However, Hertz believes that the combination of exerciseand video games helps boost dopamine levels, a neurotransmitter that isseverely deficient in Parkinsons disease. That is the motivationbehind using the Wii over another video game system; Wii requireswhole-body movement instead of the simple isolated finger movements ona traditional controller.

Expect more results from the newWii-hab movement. Hertzs next plan is to investigate the effects ofWii Fit on Parkinsons with the help of a $45,000 grant from theNational Parkinsons Foundation. "Game systems are the future ofrehab," Dr. Herz said. "About 60 percent of the study participantsdecided to buy a Wii for themselves. That speaks volumes for how thismade them feel."

A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiative is exploring how digital games can improve health for people of all ages.

HealthGames Research, a national program supported by the foundation, awardedabout $1.85 million in grants Nov. 5 to study games that engage playersin physical activities or motivate them to make healthy lifestylechanges.

Among the grant recipients is the Children's Hospitalof Philadelphia. Researchers there will test the effects of games onthe brain activity and facial perception skills of 8- to 12-year-oldswho have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The games willchallenge them to notice subtle differences in faces and expressions, askill lacking in many children with autism.

Researchers atGeorge Washington University in Washington, D.C., will study threemodes of exercise involving: "Winds of Orbis," a video game that usesupper- and lower-body movement to control characters; "Dance DanceRevolution," which involves dancing on a pad that detects a player'ssteps; and traditional school physical education activities.

Participantswill be inner-city elementary school students randomly assigned to theactivities. Researchers will measure the students' enjoyment level,attitudes toward physical activity, and amount of exercise and caloriesburned.

Meanwhile, Teachers College at Columbia University inNew York will evaluate the effectiveness of a smoking reduction gameapplication for mobile phones. A group at Long Island University'sBrooklyn, N.Y., campus will assess the benefits of "Dance DanceRevolution" in helping Parkinson's disease patients reduce their risk of falling.

"Weare seeing a lot of evidence that games are a great environment forlearning and for behavior change," said Debra Lieberman, PhD, directorof Health Games Research (www.healthgamesresearch.org).

Liebermanalso is a communication researcher at the University of California,Santa Barbara, Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research.

"Ifyou can design a game well that aligns the health goals with the gamegoals, you can really get people motivated to learn about health andtry out new skills," she said.

Many sufferers of Parkinsons disease quickly find that various aspectsof their life are no longer controllable in the way that they used tobe however by exercising regularly Parkinson sufferers can continue tocontrol their gross movements i.e. walking, holding objects etc. forlonger which adds a mental and emotional boost to their wellbeing.Research has shown that exercise may also improve the synthesis ofdopamine in the brain and increase the levels of neurotrophic factorswhich are beneficial compounds.

Exercise for people diagnosedwith Parkinsons disease incorporates muscle strengthening, flexibilityand toning activities so that muscles and joints stay flexible andstrong. It is normal for a physiotherapist to implement an exerciseschedule for the patient that includes a range of activities to workall muscles of the body over a two or three day period. So for example,day one of the cycle may include walking and strengthening exercisesfor the arms and hands whereas day two might be a yoga class whereflexibility of the joints is the main focus.

It is essentialto monitor the patients progress, not only so that any improvementsand decreases in function are recorded but also as a stimulus for thepatient; when people see improvement and can visualise the effort thatthey put in they are much more positive about continuing the regime.

Ingeneral exercise should test the entire body and not just the limbs sothat posture and movement is maintained for as long as possible. Goodposture is essential in the later stages of Parkinsons disease becausestooping can hamper breathing and swallowing. Exercises for postureinclude callisthenics, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, and swimming however notevery sufferer will enjoy these types of activities. Simply sittingupright while reading a book or watching TV and walking with a straightback will also help though, thus walking the dog or playing with thechildren or grandchildren are great ways to work the body muscles andto enjoy daily exercising.

Regular exercise for theParkinsons sufferer will reduce the incidence of muscle cramps,rigidity of the joints and the aches and pains associated with stayingstill for long periods of time. Also, because exercise helps thesufferer to maintain control over many of their gross movements(although maybe not the tremors) it gives them a heightened sense ofachievement and so stress and anxiety levels remain low. Keeping apositive mental attitude is incredibly important in conditions likeParkinsons disease where sufferer can very easily become frustratedand discouraged with their predicament.

As with all exerciseroutines, the patient should start with a good warm up followed by theexercise activity of their choice or which has been scheduled for thatday, and then they should finish with a positive cool down so that thechances of developing muscle cramps and injuries are greatly reduced.An exercise session should ideally last around 15-20 minutes and shouldnot by any means exhaust the patient. Overexertion can be equally asdamaging to a Parkinsons sufferer as no exercise at all.

Inorder to make daily exercise more appealing and less of a chore it maybe worth trying to find a friend or relative that is willing toexercise with the patient. Also, a bit of variety in the type ofexercise will not only mean that the exercise stays interesting but itwill also ensure that all muscles and joints of the body are used to asatisfactory level.