Developing a serious game for gaze stability rehabilitation in children with vestibular hypofunction.
José Ortega Solís, Pierre Reynard, Karen Spruyt and 3 others
PMID 37752531WHAT IT FOUND
Children with vestibular hypofunction found a new gaze-stability video game safe and highly satisfying.
Their vision during head movements and balance scores improved, but the study combined the game with standard physiotherapy, so the game's specific effect cannot be separated.
Key findings
01All 12 children completed the 10-session training, with negligible side effects and high satisfaction ratings from both children and parents.
02Dynamic visual acuity scores improved significantly after training, indicating better vision stability during head movements.
03Balance and ball skill scores on the MABC-2 improved significantly, while manual dexterity did not change.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
There was no control group, so it is impossible to determine if the improvements were due to the serious game, the standard physiotherapy, or natural development. The sample size was very small (12 children), limiting the statistical power and generalizability of the results. Recruitment occurred during the pandemic, leading to an uneven gender ratio. The study was not designed to analyze the specific mechanisms of improvement, such as compensatory saccades.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Fondation Pour l’Audition. No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the serious game alone caused the improvements in vision or balance. The children also received standard vestibular physiotherapy during the study, and without a control group, the contribution of the game cannot be separated from the other therapy.