Sydney - Australian stroke patients will soon trial the use of Nintendo Wii applications as part of their rehabilitation treatment. The two-week trial, run by Neuroscience Research Australia, will take place early next year and involve 50 patients living in rural New South Wales who have stroke-affected hands and arms.
‘‘Studies at Neuroscience Research Australia show that this form of therapy can significantly improve movement after only two weeks,’’ lead researcher Penelope McNulty said in a statement.
A key component of the study is to deliver rehabilitation treatment to patients in rural or remote areas of Australia.
‘‘Stroke patients living in rural and regional areas often find it difficult to access rehabilitation services and this project will change that,’’ Health Minister Nicola Roxon said in a statement.
Using new high-speed broadband technology known as the National Broadband Network, researchers hope to enable patient and doctor interaction via video conferencing.
Medical professionals will be able to remotely guide patients during treatment and receive data and information on the patient’s progress.
‘‘The NBN will allow our medical practitioners to deliver care to patients in their home and, for many people, it will make their recovery a little easier,’’ Roxon said.
The government initiative to roll out a national broadband infrastructure across Australia will begin in some parts of the country as early as July.
The multi-billion dollar NBN will be Australia’s largest-ever infrastructure project.
Current Australian optical fiber technology does not have the necessary capacity to deal with the high-speed requirements of the rehabilitation project.
‘‘This project will assess the feasibility of offering high-quality, remotely-monitored rehabilitation where access to therapy is currently restricted or nonexistent,’’ McNulty said.
Marianne McDonald, 43, who suffered a stroke last year, told Kyodo News she has experienced improvements in her both right hand and leg after being involved in McNulty’s early trials.
‘‘It’s pretty good…I’ve returned to part-time work now…it’s really boosted my confidence,’’ McDonald said.
If the Nintendo Wii trials prove successful, more than 60,000 Australians who suffer strokes each year could benefit from the treatment.
Nintendo’s Wii platform was chosen because applications already collect motion data and can measure improvements in health.
Researchers will attach additional sensors to patients to gather as much information as possible.
The relatively low cost of the equipment and its commercial availability were other factors behind the decision to use Nintendo Wii technology.
The project was funded by a A$2 million ($1.7 million) donation from Mike Quigley, the chief executive of National Broadband Network Co, an organization established by the Australian government to coordinate the NBN project.
Quigley, who became CEO of NBN last July, is donating his first year’s salary to fund this project and others run by Neuroscience Research Australia.
After winning a battle against leukemia 20 years ago, Quigley said he is passionate about supporting medical
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http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/australian-stroke-patients-to-trial-nintendo-wii-for-rehabilitation
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