During the 26th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), researchers at the AISM Rehabilitation Center in Genoa, Italy, compared Wii to a traditional rehabilitation program in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

First, the details.

• 36 MS patients with balance disorders were randomly assigned to a treatment group for 12 sessions, 60 minutes each.
  • Wii Balance Board group
  • Control group
• All participants received rehabilitation treatment, with a standardized protocol for the control group and the Wii Balance Board group.
• All patients were evaluated with a range of scales at the beginning and end of the study.

And, the results.

• Both groups improved.
• But the Wii group showed significant improvement in fatigue, ambulation, and balance.
• Falls in this study, were low overall and did not differ between groups.

The bottom line?

The authors concluded, “Balance rehabilitation with a portable, widely used, force platform appeared to be an useful tool in improving balance skills in subjects with multiple sclerosis.”

There appears to be benefit, based on a small number of patients. More studies are planned.

On a related topic, earlier this year, the American Heart Association endorsed Nintendo Wii gaming system.

10/18/10 20:24 JR