Using the Wii Fit as a tool for balance assessment and neurorehabilitation: The first half decade of "wii-search"

Daniel J. Goble, Brian L. Cone, Brett W. Fling

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

138 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Nintendo Wii Fit was released just over five years ago as a means of improving basic fitness and overall well-being. Despite this broad mission, the Wii Fit has generated specific interest in the domain of neurorehabilitation as a biobehavioral measurement and training device for balance ability. Growing interest in Wii Fit technology is likely due to the ubiquitous nature of poor balance and catastrophic falls, which are commonly seen in older adults and various disability conditions. The present review provides the first comprehensive summary of Wii Fit balance research, giving specific insight into the system's use for the assessment and training of balance. Overall, at the time of the fifth anniversary, work in the field showed that custom applications using the Wii Balance Board as a proxy for a force platform have great promise as a low cost and portable way to assess balance. On the other hand, use of Wii Fit software-based balance metrics has been far less effective in determining balance status. As an intervention tool, positive balance outcomes have typically been obtained using Wii Fit balance games, advocating their use for neurorehabilitative training. Despite this, limited sample sizes and few randomized control designs indicate that research regarding use of the Wii Fit system for balance intervention remains subject to improvement. Future work aimed at conducting studies with larger scale randomized control designs and a greater mechanistic focus is recommended to further advance the efficacy of this impactful neurorehabilitation tool.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number12
JournalJournal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 8 2014

Keywords

  • Evaluation
  • Interventions
  • Postural control
  • Training
  • Virtual reality

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Rehabilitation
  • Health Informatics

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