Studies have shown that computer games are the latest therapy in treating Parkinson’s disease. A study led by the UCSF School of Nursing along with Red Hills Studios, a California game developer, found out that physical therapy computer games can help victims of Parkinson’s disease to enhance their balance and improve their gait.

Red Hills Studio and UCSF were among the first research teams to receive federal funding in computerized physical therapy games. Though they are called computer games, they not literally like those usual off-the-shelf games. They were created to encourage specific and scientifically tested physical movements that will help people with immobility and functional problems.

The collaboration of Red Hills Studio and UCSF produced nine physical therapy computer games that were all clinically inspired. They designed the games to enhance coordination in people with Parkinsons. The team focused on gestures, body movements, and other characteristics of a person with Parkinson’s disease.

The USCF team was in charge of Parkinson’s patient observations and suggestions on clinical based activities and movements. The team was led by Glenna Dowling,RN, PhD, the chairperson of the USCR Psychological Nursing department and Marsha Melnick, PT, PhD, USCF School of Medicine Department of Physical Therapy’s professor.

On the other hand, the Red Hill team was in-charged in designing motional games and bringing ideas into actions. They create games like those from Kinect and Wii wherein people playing are making use of their whole bodies. The Red Hill Team created Physical therapy computer games to have different levels and difficulties so the clinical team can easily assign activities and assess patients depending on their capabilities.

"Each subject found his or her own gaming 'sweet spot' -- the spot where the physical challenge was not too hard, not too easy, just right,'' said Bob Hone, the creative director of Red Hills Studio, to Science Daily Team.

"And when subjects mastered one game level, they often moved on to harder levels for more beneficial effect. The subjects improved their games scores while improving their gait and balance.''

Red Hill team also developed a custom sensor suit with tracking sensors to analyze the movements of patients with better resolution. The system will the send an encrypted data to a database that allows the team to track the patients’ daily activities.

More than half the subjects in the three-month research project showed small improvements in walking speed, balance and stride length.

"From the data tracking we could see that there were some subjects who were playing the games more than the specified three times a week,'' said Hone to Science Daily . "Because this was a highly structured research study, we actually had to ask them to play less than they wanted.''

The total grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke spent $1.1 million on this study. The trial includes 20 participants with moderate Parkinson’s disease from Northern California. After 12 weeks of playing, it was reported that 55 percent of players has increased gait velocity, 55 percent improved their balance, and 65 percent showed longer stride length.

Videos and pictures can be seen here.