View From The Hill - (1/22/09)

Wii Hab Results

It’s been over fifty year since the first video game was invented, but today some are being used for much more than just recreation.  Amy Bingham explains in this week’s “View from the Hill.”

Last May I told you about a WKU Professor who had received a grant to use the Wii gaming system to rehabilitate brain injury patients.  Now we are following up to see how successful “wii hab” really is.

“I’ve spent a lot of years trying to get back what I have lost.”  It’s been nearly 30 years since Mark Effinger suffered a serious brain injury in a car accident.  “It’s so easy to just give up but I want to be a guy that never gives up.”

He thought he’d improved all he could until wii-hab came along.  “This wii therapy gives you reflexes you don’t even know you’ve got.”  For years, the former Evansville sheet metal worker has been here, at 21st Century Living Services in Gallatin, Tennessee.

This is where WKU Professor Dr. Bruce Battles introduced a six month study on how the Wii can help people with brain injuries improve their range of motion, memory and socialization.  “Anytime we can improve someone’s quality of life it’s well worth it, Mark is a prime example of that.”

In fact, six out of seven clients using wii-hab increased their memory and three of seven improved their range of motion.  Preliminary data also shows an improvement in socialization.  “It give them a reason to be competitive and they see results.  They act differently toward their peers they don’t even want to sit next to and now see they enjoy playing games with each other.  For people like Mark, the Wii has brought more joy than he thought possible…especially the strolls down memory lane.  “It reminds me of the good ole days…I used to bowl when I was young.”

In a few weeks, 21st Century Assisted Living will begin the second phase of wii-therapy..this time using the Wii fit.  With this week’s View from the Hill, I’m Amy Bingham.