Computer games to battle Parkinson’s

People who suffer from Parkinson’s disease could find that playing computer games can both provide some fun time and keep them sure on their feet.

Southern Cross University associate, Professor Rick van der Zwan, provided a group of seven older people with and without Parkinson’s a daily routine of playing the home entertainment device Nintendo Wii and added a Wii Fit ‘board’ to the game so the seated users needed to use their feet as well to interact with on-screen objects.

Professor van der Zwan said the research project showed that older people were prepared to embrace an unfamiliar technology.

“Lots of older people when you talk to them about computer games think about shooting up spaceships .. they’re not so interested.

“But they are quite prepared to try it as a therapy or potential form of treatment and when they do they are quite surprised. They find it fun, not a chore like taking your blood pressure. It becomes an engaging part of their routine and that’s exactly what we want.”

Professor van der Zwan said that he hoped to enlist a bigger research group and have a detailed examination of expected health benefits, including improvements in posture and core body strength. He told the Herald Sun newspaper that “if this turns out to be a good thing – for people in rural and remote locations in particular – it could provide them with a mechanism for treating themselves and help keep them on their feet”.