Gamified Neurorehabilitation Strategies for Post-stroke Motor Recovery: Challenges and Advantages

Abstract

Purpose of review: Stroke is the leading cause of permanent motor disability in the United States (US), but there has been little progress in developing novel, effective strategies for treating post-stroke motor deficits. The past decade has seen the rapid development of many promising, gamified neurorehabilitation technologies; however, clinical adoption remains limited. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the recent literature surrounding the adoption and use of gamification in neurorehabilitation after stroke.

Recent findings: Gamification of neurorehabilitation protocols is both feasible and effective. Deployment strategies and scalability need to be addressed with more rigor. Relationship between engaged time on task and rehabilitation outcomes should be explored further as it may create benefits beyond repetitive movement. As gamification becomes a more common and feasible way of delivering exercise-based therapies, additional benefits of gamification are emerging. In spite of this, questions still exist about scalability and widespread clinical adoption.

Keywords: Neurological rehabilitation; Stroke; Stroke rehabilitation; Video games; Virtual reality.

Fig. 1.

Rendering of a simple interactive game commonly integrated in robotic therapies. The goal of this game would be to hit the target (red dot) by using robot-enabled upper extremity motor control

Fig. 2.

Example of an exergame, where wrist movements (flexion/extension, pronation/supination, radial/ulnar deviation) control an airplane’s speed and direction, moving it toward a specific target