Feasibility of using active video gaming as a means for increasing energy expenditure in three nonambulatory young adults with disabilities.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the feasibility of adapting active video games (AVGs) for nonambulatory wheelchair users at functionally diverse levels and to examine these AVGs as a method for increasing energy expenditure (EE) for 3 young adults with severe (SEV), moderate (MOD), and no upper extremity limitation (NL).

DESIGN

Case study.

SETTING

Residential special education school for youth and young adults with physical disabilities.

PARTICIPANTS

Two young adults with spastic cerebral palsy (SEV, MOD) and one young adult with spina bifida (NL). All participants were nonambulatory wheelchair users.

METHODS

Each participant performed Wii bowling and tennis and an adapted upper extremity version of a Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) game pad.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: EE was measured through indirect calorimetry (VO(2)). Heart rate data were collected with the use of a Polar Heart Rate Monitor.

RESULTS

SEV and MOD participants showed a higher percentage increase in EE for the Wii games (SEV, 25.6%; MOD, 30.8%) compared with DDR (SEV, 10.8%; MOD, 29.1%), whereas the participant with NL had a greater EE increase for the DDR (173.5%) compared with Wii (59.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

AVGs showed clinically significant increases in EE for all 3 participants and can be performed by nonambulatory wheelchair users ranging from those with NL to those with SEV upper extremity limitation with the appropriate adaptations.