One of the side effects of multiple sclerosis, a disease that strips nerves of a protective layer called myelin in the central nervous system, is impaired mobility. The estimated 2.3 million people affected by the disease are left with balance issues that can cause frequent falls. A study published in Radiology suggests that adding a Nintendo Wii gaming accessory to MS patients’ physical therapy regimen could help them grow and develop brain connections associated with movement and balance, according to a Forbes article.
The Nintendo balance board could be used as part of a physical therapy program. A 12-week intervention involved 27 MS patients who used the Wii balance board as part of visual feedback training. Using an MRI application called diffiusion sensor tensor imaging, investigators looked for white matter tracts that conduct neurologic signals through the brain and body, according to Forbes.
MRI scans in the MS patients in the study demonstrated significant growth of nerve tracts which are integral in movement as well as balance. It turns out that the changes seen on MRI correlated with improvements in balance as measured by an assessment technique called posturography.
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Dr. Luca Prosperini of the University in Rome in Italy is the lead author of the study. He told Forbes that the most important finding in the study is this: “A task-oriented and repetitive training aimed at managing a specific symptom is highly effective and induces brain plasticity.”
It reinforces the notion that with a little technology combined with physical therapy people can teach their bodies to repair themselves. Prosperini added that by reducing the risk of falls, the balancing board could reduce the risk of fractures and trauma associated with falls.
That finding has even larger ramifications for a healthcare industry keen to cut hospitalization costs. Gaming as a way to diagnose neurological problems or improve things like memory skills often comes in for criticism as being overhyped. But this study shows that some real gains could be made from integrating gaming into physical therapy.
