An evaluation of a game for the rehabilitation of pain patients (pilot study).

The growing popularity of motion-based games, like Nintendo*s Wii, is not
limited to the youth and gamers but slightly entering the professional field of
physical rehabilitation as well. Games have the potential to be an attractive
alternative for therapy. The challenging game environment is considered to be
motivating for patients thereby potentially increasing exercise compliance.
Besides games challenge participants to play a game over and over to beat their
personal high score and thereby increase their treatment intensity and
performance. Motion-based games have an additional advantage in that they are
controlled by the movement of a person captured by a controller (Nintendo*s
Wii) or by a digital camera device (Sony EyeToy) and as such have the potential
to positive influence physical performance.
Although promising, practice shows there are a number of limitations when
applying these existing games into professional rehabilitation settings. First,
not all games can be adjusts to the level of the impaired patient and become
too hard to play which often leads to frustration. It would be an advantage
when a game could be adapted to the capabilities of an impaired patient.
Second, the level of energy expenditures reported for the motion-based games
cannot be compared to levels of energy expenditures reached during physical
therapy as only limited movements with a controller held in the patient*s hand
are requested from the patient for controlling the game. Desirable would be a
game controlled by those motions the patient*s need to train. As a consequence
of these limitations games are more used as a pleasurable alternation in stead
of being a proper tool to use for the treatment during rehabilitation.
A game with the possibility to personalize for different patients and
controlled by the relevant motions of the patient*s body has been developed by
different European partner*s expert on the field of rehabilitation, motion
capturing and game design.

The aim of this pilot study is to investigate the user experience with this
game and clinical changes induced by playing this game. As, the experience of
patients and clinical changes associated with game-based pain rehabilitation in
literature are scarce. Therefore, this study will have an explorative nature.

The study design of this pilot study is: a prospective cohort study.

The burden associated with participations comprises several visit (8 in total)
of approximately 30-60 minutes at Roessingh Research and Development. The
Playmancer game challenges participant to train daily live movements; walking,
reaching overhead and turning the head. Potential risks considered to be
minimized.