Use the Back button in your browser to see the other results of your search or to select another record.

Detailed Search Results

Efficacy of Nintendo Wii training on mechanical leg muscle function and postural balance in community-dwelling older adults: a randomized controlled trial
Jorgensen MG, Laessoe U, Hendriksen C, Nielsen OBF, Aagaard P
The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 2013 Jul;68(7):845-852
clinical trial
7/10 [Eligibility criteria: Yes; Random allocation: Yes; Concealed allocation: No; Baseline comparability: Yes; Blind subjects: No; Blind therapists: No; Blind assessors: Yes; Adequate follow-up: Yes; Intention-to-treat analysis: Yes; Between-group comparisons: Yes; Point estimates and variability: Yes. Note: Eligibility criteria item does not contribute to total score] *This score has been confirmed*

BACKGROUND: Older adults show increased risk of falling and major risk factors include impaired lower extremity muscle strength and postural balance. However, the potential positive effect of biofeedback-based Nintendo Wii training on muscle strength and postural balance in older adults is unknown. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial examined postural balance and muscle strength in community-dwelling older adults (75 +/- 6 years) pre- and post-10 weeks of biofeedback-based Nintendo Wii training (WII, n = 28) or daily use of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer insoles (controls (CON), n = 30). Primary end points were maximal muscle strength (maximal voluntary contraction) and center of pressure velocity moment during bilateral static stance. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat analysis with adjustment for age, sex, and baseline level showed that the WII group had higher maximal voluntary contraction strength (18%) than the control group at follow up (between-group difference 269 N, 95% CI 122 to 416, and p = 0.001). In contrast, the center of pressure velocity moment did not differ (1%) between WII and CON at follow-up (between-group difference 0.23mm2/s, 95% CI -4.1 to 4.6, and p = 0.92). For secondary end points, pre-to-post changes favoring the WII group were evident in the rate of force development (p = 0.03), Timed Up and Go test (p = 0.01), short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (p = 0.03), and 30-second repeated Chair Stand Test (p = 0.01). Finally, participants rated the Wii training highly motivating at 5 and 10 weeks into the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Biofeedback-based Wii training led to marked improvements in maximal leg muscle strength (maximal voluntary contraction; rate of force development) and overall functional performance in community-dwelling older adults. Unexpectedly, static bilateral postural balance remained unaltered with Wii training. The high level of participant motivation suggests that biofeedback-based Wii exercise may ensure a high degree of compliance to home- and/or community-based training in community-dwelling older adults.
Copyright the Gerontological Society of America. Reproduced by permission of the publisher.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help