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It seems like the Wii is making appearances everywhere nowadays, and in some of the strangest places. You may have always pictured your console in your bedroom, maybe next to the TV perhaps? Well it seems recently the Wii is popping up everywhere; in old folk's homes, helping those who have suffered from strokes, you name it. This time, the console is helping those suffering from Parkinson's Disease.
The new study has recently been under works at the Medical College of Georgia, as the team there are trying to find out if the Nintendo Wii can aid in the occupational therapy of those who suffer from Parkinson's. Even though the console isn't a definite commitment to treating the disease, it shows that the Wii can and has helped others, and will continue to help others in the future.
"We're hoping to show a slowing of the progression of the disease and a decrease in medication while increasing function. If we can teach patients to exercise and do functional activities, maybe we can have them take less medications," says Dr. Ben Herz, who is an assistant professor of occupational therapy in the School of Allied Health Sciences and is also one half of the main team behind this new study. "Because the Wii is interactive and you have to do certain functional movements to be successful," he continued, "it's an effective modality for working with Parkinson's patients. One of the therapists uses the Wii for timing and loosening up, and the other uses it for coordination and balance issues."
I know I always turn to my Wii out of boredom or when I get a buzz for playing some games, but who'd have thought that the little white box would become, almost, like a cure for one of the many serious diseases out there.
