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. 2017 Feb 21:6:17-21.
doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2017.02.008. eCollection 2017 Jun.

Effectiveness of a Nintendo Wii balance board exercise programme on standing balance of children with cerebral palsy: A randomised clinical trial protocol

Valeska Gatica-Rojas  1 , Ricardo Cartes-Velásquez  2 , Eduardo Guzmán-Muñoz  3 , Guillermo Méndez-Rebolledo  4 , Alex Soto-Poblete  5 , Ana Carolina Pacheco-Espinoza  4 , Carlos Amigo-Mendoza  6 , M Eliana Albornoz-Verdugo  7 , Edith Elgueta-Cancino  8
Affiliations

Effectiveness of a Nintendo Wii balance board exercise programme on standing balance of children with cerebral palsy: A randomised clinical trial protocol

Valeska Gatica-Rojas et al. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. .

Abstract

Background: Patients with cerebral palsy (CP) typically receive limited physical therapy services. However, the Nintendo Wii system offers a simple and affordable mode of virtual reality therapy. There are no clinical trials assessing the Nintendo Wii balance board for improving standing balance in CP.

Methods: This randomised clinical trial will evaluate the effectiveness of an 18-session/six-week protocol using Wii therapy (W-t) compared with conventional therapy (C-t) in Chilean CP patients. The C-t group will perform the typical exercises prescribed by physical therapists for 40 min each session. W-t will consist of a virtual reality training session using the Nintendo Wii balance board console for 30 min each session. The primary outcome variable is the area of centre-of-pressure (CoP) sway (CoPSway). The secondary outcomes are the standard deviation (SDML; SDAP) and velocity (VML; VAP) of CoP in the ML and AP directions. For a mean difference of 21.5 cm2 (CoPSway) between the groups, we required a minimum of 16 participants in each group. Data will be collected at baseline (week 0), during the study (weeks 2 and 4), at the end of the study (week 6), and during the follow-up (weeks 8 and 10). Measurements of postural control during quiet standing for both groups will be assessed on a force platform AMTI OR67.

Discussion: This is the first trial that measures and compares the effects of a Nintendo Wii Balance Board exercise programme on standing balance in children with cerebral palsy compared to conventional therapy.

Keywords: Cerebral palsy; Nintendo Wii; Standing balance; Study protocol; Virtual reality.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Trial's flowchart.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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