Can Immersive Virtual Reality Videogames Help Parkinson’s Disease Patients? A Case Study
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HealthyFit Research Group, Department of Functional Biology and Health Sciences, Faculty of Physiotherapy, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), University of Vigo, E-36005 Pontevedra, Spain
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HealthyFit Research Group, Department of Special Didactics, Faculty of Education and Sports Science, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), University of Vigo, E-36005 Pontevedra, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editors: Pedro Morais, Hock Chuan Lim, João L. Vilaça, Duarte Duque, Shafiz Affendi Mohd Yusof, Nuno Dias and Nuno Rodrigues
Sensors 2021, 21(14), 4825; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21144825
Received: 18 June 2021 / Revised: 11 July 2021 / Accepted: 12 July 2021 / Published: 15 July 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors in Serious Games for Health)
Video games have proven useful in physical rehabilitation therapy. Accessibility, however, is limited for some groups such as the elderly or patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We explore the potential of fully immersive video games as a rehabilitation tool in PD patients. Four patients with mild-moderate PD (3 males:1 female, 53–71 years) participated in the study. Training consisted in two immersive virtual reality video gaming sessions. Outcomes were evaluated using System Usability Scale (SUS), Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ), Game Experience Questionnaire-post game (GEQ), an ad hoc satisfaction questionnaire and perceived effort. All participants completed the sessions without adverse effects (100%), without SSQ symptoms reported. Post-gaming SUS was >75% in both sessions (range 75–80%). Post-gaming GEQ scores were 3.3–4.0/4 in both sessions. Immersive virtual reality video gaming is feasible in patients with mild-moderate PD, with positive usability and patient satisfaction, and no adverse effects.
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Keywords:
virtual reality exposure therapy; Parkinson’s disease; older adults; video games; exergaming; neurological rehabilitation; games for health
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MDPI and ACS Style
Campo-Prieto, P.; Rodríguez-Fuentes, G.; Cancela-Carral, J.M. Can Immersive Virtual Reality Videogames Help Parkinson’s Disease Patients? A Case Study. Sensors 2021, 21, 4825. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21144825
AMA Style
Campo-Prieto P, Rodríguez-Fuentes G, Cancela-Carral JM. Can Immersive Virtual Reality Videogames Help Parkinson’s Disease Patients? A Case Study. Sensors. 2021; 21(14):4825. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21144825
Chicago/Turabian StyleCampo-Prieto, Pablo, Gustavo Rodríguez-Fuentes, and José M. Cancela-Carral 2021. "Can Immersive Virtual Reality Videogames Help Parkinson’s Disease Patients? A Case Study" Sensors 21, no. 14: 4825. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21144825
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