Abstract Details

Title Interventional First-Person Video Game Training Reduces Fall Risk in Parkinson’s Disease by Improving Gait, Contrast Sensitivity, Visual Acuity and Cognition

Topic Neuro-rehabilitation

Presentation(s) P5 - Poster Session 5 (5:30 PM-6:30 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 7-011

Objective To measure changes in fall risk in individuals with Parkinson’s disease, after first-person active versus third-person passive video gaming are compared with non-playing controls.

Background Parkinson’s disease is a complex disease with motoric signs, balance and gait disturbance, loss of contrast sensitivity visual acuity, and cognitive decline. Dopamine producing neurons in multiple brain sites are disrupted by the accumulation of mutated alpha synuclein protein. Degeneration of affected cells in these areas contribute to postural instability and increased fall risk. Despite pharmacologic interventions fall frequency increases as the disease progresses. Video gaming intervention seems to be effective in supplementing treatment of symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases.

Design/Methods

23 PD patients, stage 2 to 4, H&Y randomized into three groups: first-person active video game viewing (N = 8), third-person passive viewing, (N =6), no intervention (N =9). Pre and post intervention testing included: UPDRS, Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool, Freiberg contrast sensitivity acuity, Gait rite walking, a platform measuring multiple parameters of gait with emphasis on the functional ambulatory performance score ( FAP), a compilation of walking functions that produce a fall risk profile. The chosen interventional video game was a first-person shooter (Pirate Blast) that participants played three times a week for four weeks vs the passive viewing game of Tetris.

Results First-person game players’ FAP (0-100 scaling) scores improved by an average of 2.2 points compared to non-players (p=0.03). Passive game players also improved but not to a statistical significance. First-person players showed improved scores in UPDRS, Contrast visual acuity, and cognitive scoring but not to statistical significance.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that reduced falls’ risk following gaming is the result of multi-modal improvements. It seems plausible that increased attention, combined with visual training results in better performance. Future studies are underway to determine the duration and sustainability of the effect of interventional video game therapy.

Authors/Disclosures
Sonia Koul PRESENTER	No disclosure on file
Beau Billings	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Brooke Hartenstein	Ms. Hartenstein has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
William F. Taber	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Shani Peter, MD (University of Michigan)	No disclosure on file
Charles Maitland	No disclosure on file

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