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Balance Rehabilitation using Xbox Kinect among an Elderly Population: A Pilot Study

Laurence Beaulieu-Boire, Samuel Belzile-Lachapelle, Audrée Blanchette, Pier-Olivier Desmarais, Lysandre Lamontagne-Montminy, Christina Tremblay, Hélène Corriveau and Michel Tousignant

With the current aging of the population, falls among the elderly has become a major concern for health care professionals. One major component of fall prevention is balance training, which could be achieved using the Microsoft Xbox Kinect. This video game platform uses motion sensors to capture participants’ movements and to provide visual feedback. In addition to its use for recreational purposes, it has the potential to be a great home-based tool for balance rehabilitation. The objectives of the current study are to assess its efficacy as a single tool for balance training, as well as measuring the population’s interest in this approach. Three participants with balance problem were included in this multiple-case study. They all completed the standardised 10-week program consisting of two 30-minute sessions of balance training through Kinect per week in addition to their usual multidisciplinary treatments. They were evaluated before the intervention (T0) and immediately after (T1). The following outcomes were assessed: 1) balance (Berg Balance Scale [BBS]), 2) mobility (Timed Up-and-Go [TUG]), 3) walking speed on 5m, 4), lower limb strength (Sit-to- Stand [STS]), 5) fear of falling (Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale [ABC Scale]) and 6) satisfaction (modified Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology [QUEST]). We observed an improvement in BBS, TUG and ABC scores for every participant. However, the STS score improved for two of the three participants and the walking speed stayed the same for everybody. Moreover, all of the participants were satisfied with their experience. Overall, the results showed that the Xbox Kinect could be a great adjunct to a multidisciplinary treatment to improve balance. Nevertheless, high-quality studies with more powerful designs are needed to prove the efficacy and applicability of this approach for balance rehabilitation.