Acceptability of a Mobile Phone-Based Augmented Reality Game for Rehabilitation of Patients With Upper Limb Deficits from Stroke: Case Study.
Nina LaPiana, Alvin Duong, Alex Lee and 5 others
PMID 32876580WHAT IT FOUND
Five stroke patients rated a smartphone augmented reality game as acceptable, finding it comfortable and motivating despite difficulty with the hand controllers.
This small study confirms users would try it again but does not prove it improves physical recovery.
Key findings
01Four patients who completed the survey rated motivation to follow instructions and comfort as the highest aspects of the experience, with mean scores of 4.25 on a 5-point scale.
02Patients found the game less enjoyable than it was motivating, with a mean engagement score of 3.25, and a common complaint was that the box-shaped hand controllers made it difficult to hit targets.
03The study included no comparison group, so it cannot determine if the game improved rehabilitation outcomes compared to standard therapy alone.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only five patients, which is too small to draw any conclusions about effectiveness. There was no control group receiving standard therapy alone, so it is impossible to know if the game added any benefit. Patients played the game after their regular therapy sessions, which may have influenced their fatigue levels and willingness to continue. Most patients had little experience with video games, so their ratings may not reflect how experienced users would respond.
Declared interests
The text does not report any funding sources or conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high acceptability scores as evidence that this game improves physical recovery. The study only measured whether patients liked using it, not whether it helped them regain function.