Leap motion controlled video game-based therapy for upper limb rehabilitation in patients with Parkinson's disease: a feasibility study.
Pilar Fernández-González, María Carratalá-Tejada, Esther Monge-Pereira and 9 others
PMID 31694653WHAT IT FOUND
Leap Motion games did not show a clear advantage over conventional therapy on grip strength or Box and Blocks dexterity, but did produce better Purdue Pegboard scores.
In 23 people with Parkinson's, both groups reported high satisfaction and attended all 12 sessions.
Key findings
01Compared with conventional therapy, the game group had better post-treatment Purdue Pegboard scores on the more affected side and on assembly.
02Within the game group, the paper reports improvements in grip strength, Box and Blocks on the more affected side, and all Purdue Pegboard measures after treatment, but not Box and Blocks on the less affected side.
03Satisfaction averaged 29.6 of 32 points in the game group and 28.75 of 32 points in the conventional group, with 100% session attendance and no adverse side-effects reported.
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
This was a feasibility study with 23 patients analysed, and the authors say larger samples and follow-up are needed. Patients were only in Hoehn & Yahr stages II, III or IV and had at least 60% Schwab & England independence, so it says nothing about more advanced Parkinson's disease. Recruitment was non-probabilistic and non-consecutive from one patient association, which the authors say could create selection bias. The paper states a primary aim but does not state one primary outcome, so it is unclear which result is the main result. The control group received conventional physical therapy plus functional tasks imitating the games, and a physical therapist was present for both groups, so the contribution of the Leap Motion device alone cannot be separated. Three of 26 selected patients were excluded for not attending, which may limit generalisability.
Declared interests
The supplied text names the funder as Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and does not state other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that Leap Motion games are proven better than conventional therapy for Parkinson's upper-limb function. The study analysed 23 patients as a feasibility trial, and the games did not show a clear advantage for grip strength or gross dexterity.