Zeitschrift für neuartige Physiotherapien

Abstrakt

Use of X-box Kinect Gaming Console for Rehabilitation of an Individual with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Report

Jessica M Paavola, Kory E Oliver and Ksenia I Ustinova

The goal of the present experiment was to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing the Xbox Kinect gaming console for restoration of functional and motor abilities in a single representative patient with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The patient was a 29 year old male with severe chronic functional and motor deficits secondary to brain injury that occurred 9 years prior to the study. The patient participated in ten sessions, three times a week for four consecutive weeks playing the Xbox Kinect games. These sessions consisted of playing five different games from Kinect Adventure series. The patient was evaluated with a battery of clinical tests before and after gaming practice. In addition to clinical assessments the patient’s movement performance was recorded with the Qualysis system for motion analysis. From kinematic data, the displacement and velocity of the trunk, dominant hand and foot were calculated and analyzed. After the gaming practice, the patient showed improvements in overall game performance, clinical outcomes, and movement performance characteristics throughout the various games. Results showed that the Xbox Kinect gaming console can be utilized with relative ease for recovery of severe functional, motor, and postural deficits even in a patient at chronic stage after TBI. Larger scale trials will the next viable step in validating the Xbox Kinect in its role of rehabilitation for TBI and other acquired brain injuries.