Virtual Games for Stroke Recovery

See how virtual therapy uses video games helps patients recover from strokes, surgery and other health conditions.

Virtual Games for Stroke Recovery Male: So did you know you can heal your body virtually? That’s exactly what they're doing at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services Center in Brooklyn, New York. Take a look. Dennis: I'm Dennis. Patricia: I'm Patricia. Johnny: My name is Johnny Smith. Dennis: I'm 80 years old. Patricia: I'm 54 years old. Johnny: And I'm 56 years old. Dennis: I had spinal stenosis. Patricia: Knee replacement surgery. Johnny: I had a stroke. Dennis: And I'm in rehab. Patricia: Rehab. Johnny: Rehab. Dennis: But this is -- Patricia: Different. Johnny: Different. Dennis: Different. Participants: It’s a virtual like playing a video game. Dennis: And we need to the difference. Patricia: Difference. Johnny: Difference. Janet: Virtual therapy is different in the sense of that it has a motivating posture and has fun factor. The patients are able to see themselves on an actual a screen so it gives you visual feedback. Randy: We are going to do the juggler. The balls are going to come down you're going to use your hands to block those. Janet: They're exercising and they don’t even know that they're exercising. Before the patients would probably tell you I don’t feel like continuing, I don’t want to do this anymore. Whereas now they're playing a game they're having fun. Patricia: As soon I got a kick it out driving with the car. Oh, come on. Oh, no. That for some reason I don’t drive. Janet: The therapist is actually able to use it as an assessment tool. It will give you lean velocity, it will give you rang of motion. Randy: In order to engage the patient they need to be able to see themselves. And because there is a mirror therapy part of this just that. The patient will be able to self collect. Johnny: I was skeptical at first, because I couldn’t see how that could help me. But you got to concentrate you got to connect the mind to the physical. Randy: It might be virtual, but there is actually reality to it and the reality is that these movements that they are performing now will be the same movement that they will do when they go back to the community and start living their lives. When you think of therapy its function and the first three letters word of function is fun. Johnny: I didn’t know what I was doing by it but I have fun. Dennis: It takes a bit of that idiocy out of it and makes it fun and purposeful. Male: So very cool and these virtual systems you know they're made by --. The companies cofounder Francis McDougal is back stage with Dr. Sears are taking this for a test run welcome to the show and what in the world are you doing Dr. Sears. Female: That is cool. Male: Trying to keep the computer from scoring here Travis. Male: So first what kind of conditions would you use this virtual therapy for? Male: So right now what we’re doing is actually a bit of leaning, this is normally a single person game and so you’d be leaning back and forth, you’ll be titling your way around. He’s doing lot’s of reaching out which is a very common need for stroke patients in particular. We find autistic kids like getting inside this as well, that just the feedback is amazing. We’ve even done fire victims where they’ve had a difficulty with stretching their skin and just had extremely painful procedure but by getting in here they do it longer and with -- they don’t even notice the pain. Male: Yeah, I've noticed you know autistic kids love to see themselves in a mirror and this is kind of has that same effect, yet they're in a different environment and this will really hold their attention and some of your applications have music right. Male: Absolutely. Male: Cool. Male: So how many applications are there now available? Male: Yeah, so there are about 20 applications that come with the system, they do a variety of training there's a several sports including volleyball, there’s a snowboarding and Formula One racing. But we also do some stimulations of real world problem like climbing up a stair that would be good for all cyber patients as well as the conveyor application that you saw in the video. Male: So you mention Alzheimer’s patients I believe stroke patients, autistic patients. Male: Yeah. Male: There’s really no limit right? Male: Absolutely. Male: Yeah, this is really capturing my attention, I could see kids playing with this for hours, whether it's to rehabilitate an injury or just to get exercise this thing is really cool. Male: Well looks like fun. Female: Yeah, looks likes a lot of fun. Male: We can’t thank you now Francis. Dr. Jaime quit playing around and we want to thank Dr. -- of Family Health Services as well.