Exploring Spared Capacity in Persons With Dementia: What Wii^TMCan Learn

Abstract

This study was designed to probe the capacity of persons with dementia to learn motor tasks. The activity selected was the Nintendo Wii TM bowling game. The experimenters followed three case studies throughout a 9-week training session, with a 5-6 month follow-up retention test. The participants had a dementia diagnosis, with disease duration ranging from 2 to 5 years. All participants demonstrated improvement in bowling scores and memory for procedural components of game participation that persisted up to 6 months. These results support spared motor learning capacity in dementia, supporting a need for further investigation of activity enhanced therapy. KEYWORDS motor learning, dementia, interactive gamingMounting evidence suggests that neural pathways used to store, consolidate, and retrieve motor memories are distinct from the pathways used for other memories. Early evidence for this distinction is found in the examination of patient H.M., by Milner, Corkin, and Teuber (1968). This patient, whose medial temporal lobes had been resected in an attempt to control severe medial temporal lobe epilepsy, was unable to retain memories for recent events. Surprisingly, however, H.M. was able to improve his performance and retain motor memories of laboratory perceptual-motor tasks, such as mirror tracing. Further evidence was provided by Dick and colleagues (Dick,

Does Digital Gaming Enable Healthy Aging for Community-Dwelling People With Dementia?

“…' (FN) Social interaction has been a salient finding reported in many of the studies exploring the use of digital gaming technology with people with dementia (Fenney and Lee 2010;Tobiasson 2010;Padala et al 2012) and this is consistent with the current study. The technology was an important medium to promote social interaction and subsequently group cohesion.…”

“…However most research has focussed primarily on using technology to promote safety and security for people with dementia and their informal carers (Lauriks et al 2007;Riikonen et al 2010;Span et al 2013). Astell (2013) (Upton et al 2011) and; general enhancement in social interaction and well-being through engaging with fun games and applications (Fenney and Lee 2010;Leng et al 2013;Padala et al 2012;Tobiasson 2010;Upton et al 2011). If technology is to be used routinely within the community it is imperative that it is affordable, user-friendly and widely available.…”

The Kinect Project: Group motion-based gaming for people living with dementia

“…de Werd et al 2013, van Halteren-van Tilborg et al 2007). Evidence of spared implicit memory in people with dementia (Fenney & Lee, 2010;Leahey & Singleton, 2011;Legouverneur et al 2011) is further validated by the results of the present study, where group members with dementia learned to play Xbox Kinect through implicit means. With repeated exposure to the technology and the game, players with dementia were able to learn and subsequently master the skills required to play games presented on Xbox Kinect.…”

Recommendations on the Design of Serious Games for People with Dementia

“…TV) screen in front of the player. Five studies used a remote control (four used Wiimote; one used a joystick) (18,22,23,37,38). The Wiimote is used as a remote control and features different buttons.…”

“…Another study applied cooking games, interaction with music apps and Google Maps and balance training through the Nintendo Wii ® (20). Nintendo Wii ® was also applied in two other studies where PwD played bowling, yoga, strength and balance games (21,22). In yet another study, PwD had to find a certain room or certain targets in a virtual apartment (23).…”