Table 1. Study Participant and Intervention Description.
| Study | Group | Group Size | Age | SD | Intervention Description | Outcome Measures | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bieryla and Dold23 | IG | 12 | 82.6 | 1.6 | AVGs alone. Wii yoga (half-moon, chair, warrior), aerobic (torso twists), and balance games (soccer heading, ski jump) modes. Advanced as participants could manage |
Balance and mobility • Berg Balance Scale (BBS) • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Forward Reach • Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale |
• Significant change in BBS pre/post for IG but not CG • No significant change for other measures |
| CG | 12 | 80.5 | 7.8 | No intervention | |||
| Cho et al24 | IG | 17 | 73.1 | 1.1 | AVGs alone. Wii Fit ski slalom, table tilt and balance bubble |
Balance • COP eyes open and closed |
• Significant improvement (reduction) in COP excursion for IG but not CG |
| CG | 15 | 71.7 | 1.2 | No intervention | |||
| Duque et al32 | IG | 30 | 79.3 | 10 | AVGs combined with exercise. Balance Rehabilitation Unit—combination of visual vestibular retraining (saccadic, optokinetic stimulation, vestibular optokinetic and vestibular-ocular reflex exercises performed while standing) and postural retraining using the virtual reality head set, consisting of 3 different postural training games with increasing levels of complexity, in addition to usual care |
Balance • Limits of stability (LOS) and COP using the “Balance Rehabilitation Unit” • Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly (SAFE) questionnaire |
• Significant within-group improvements in COP and LOS for the IG but no significant difference between IG and CGs. Significant improvement (reduction) in COP excursion and improvement (increase) in LOS for IG compared with CG at 9 mos for some conditions • SAFE scores significantly better in IG compared with CG |
| CG | 40 | 75 | 8 | Usual care. A care plan on falls prevention including an invitation to join an exercise program (after the Otago protocol) medication review, home visit by an occupational therapist, hearing and visual assessment, nutritional supplements and vitamin D supplementation as required and education materials on falls prevention | |||
| Franco et al26 | IG | 11 | 79.8 | 4.7 | AVGs combined with exercise. Wii Fit balance, Individual supervised sessions plus home exercise program |
Balance and acceptability • Berg Balance Scale (BBS) • Tinetti Gait and Balance Assessment (POMA) • SF36 health survey • Wii Fit enjoyment questionnaire- specifically developed for the study |
• No significant between-group pre/post differences in BBS, POMA or SF36 scores • Participants enjoyed AVGs and many preferred them to usual exercise |
| IG | 11 | 77.9 | 6.9 | Balance exercise. “Matter of Balance” group exercises warm-up, strength and balance and cool down | |||
| CG | 10 | 76.9 | 6.3 | No intervention | |||
| Jorgensen et al27 | IG | 28 | 75.9 | 5.7 | AVGs combined with exercise. Wii Fit Balance games, leg strength and standing row squat |
Physical performance and balance • Maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MVC) of leg extensors • Postural sway (COP) • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Short-form Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-1) • 30-s repeated chair stand test |
• Significant improvement in MVC of IG compared with CG • No significant difference between groups for COP • Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for TUG, FES-1, and chair stand tests |
| CG | 30 | 73.7 | 6.1 | Placebo insoles | |||
| Lai et al25 | IG | 15 | 70.6 | 3.5 | AVGs alone. Xavix measured step system (XMSS)—uses a step mat plus console and television |
Balance and mobility • Berg Balance Scale (BBS) • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES) • Unipedal stance test • Postural sway: sway area, sway velocity and COP tests |
• Significant within-group improvements in BBS, TUG and MFES and Sway Velocity test for the IG. No significant within-group improvements in BBS, TUG and MFES and Sway Velocity test for the CG. Between-group comparison not reported |
| CG | 15 | 74.5 | 4.7 | No intervention | |||
| Laver et al28 | IG | 22 | 85.2 | 4.7 | AVGs alone. Wii Fit program set and supervised by physiotherapists delivered one to one including balance, strength and light aerobics in standing |
Balance and mobility • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) • Modified Berg Balance Scale (MBBS) • Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (Timed IADL) test • Functional Independence Measure (FIM) • Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) • Health-related quality of life (EQ5D) |
• Rate of improvement per session significantly greater in the IG than in the CG for TUG and BBS scores • No significant differences were found between groups for the SPPB, Timed IADL Test, ABC Scale or EQ5D |
| CG | 22 | 84.6 | 4.4 | Conventional physiotherapy. Walking balancing, transfers | |||
| Lee et al29 | IG | 40 | 75.2 | 6.6 | AVGs combined with exercise. Wii Fit and Wii sports games, walking, chair stands with weighted vest and another 5-min walk |
Balance and gait parameters • Balance Efficacy Scale (BES) • Gait performance parameters measured using GAITRite walkway, that is, velocity, stride length, cadence, double support time and swing time |
• No significant between-group differences in BES • Significant within-group differences in gait velocity, stride length, cadence, swing time and reduction in double support time but no between-group differences |
| CG | 42 | Conventional exercise, for example, chair stands, chair lunge, heel raise, stepping, and arm curl using Thera-Bands; stretching (upper and lower body muscles) and balancing activities (stand on one leg, hold a small ball) | |||||
| Maillot et al30 | IG | 16 | 73.5 | 4.1 | AVGs alone. Three time periods of (i) Nintendo Wii Fit (plus balance board), in pairs, playing Wii boxing/tennis/bowling; (ii) individual Wii balance board games; (iii) a final Wii game for either balance, energy, or cognition |
Physical performance and cognitive function • Senior Fitness Test (SFT): includes chair-stand test, arm curl, 6-Min Walking Test, chair-sit-and-reach test, back-scratch test and 8-foot up-and-go test • Cognitive test battery: (i) executive control tasks; (ii) visuospatial tasks; (iii) processing-speed tasks |
• Significant improvement in SFT scores in favor of the IG for all measures except flexibility • Significant improvement scores in favor of the IG for executive control and processing speed but not for visuospatial tasks |
| CG | 16 | 73.5 | 3.0 | No intervention | |||
| Pichierri et al31 | IG | 15 | 86.9 | 5.1 | AVGs combined with exercise. Exercise program consisting of progressive resistance and postural balance training including 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions of lower limb exercises with training intensity controlled using Borg's perceived exertion scale; plus a progressive video game dancing program using a modification of Step Mania (Dance Dance Revolution) |
Balance and gait parameters • Foot placement accuracy (FPA) • Gait performance parameters measured using GAITRite walkway, ie, velocity, stride length, cadence, double support time and swing time Gaze parameters • Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-IG) |
• No significant difference between groups for FPA • Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for gait velocity, stride length, cadence, swing time and single support time under dual-task conditions • No significant difference between groups for FES-IG |
| CG | 16 | 85.6 | 4.2 | Conventional exercise. Progressive resistance and postural balance training as above | |||
| Pichierri et al33 | IG | 9 | 83.6 | 3.4 | AVGs combined with exercise. Warm-up, resistance exercises with weighted vests, balance exercises, and dance video gaming using a modification of Step Mania (Dance Dance Revolution) |
Balance • Stepping reaction time tasks (SRT) using a force platform under single- and dual-task (Stroop test) conditions |
• Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG SRT under dual-task conditions |
| CG | 6 | 86.2 | 4.8 | No intervention | |||
| Pluchino et al34 | IG | 12 | 70.7 | 8.5 | AVGs alone. Wii Fit Balance, that requires weight shifts to lay the game: soccer heading, ski slalom, ski jump, table tilt, tightrope walk, river bubble, penguin slide snowboard slalom, lotus focus |
Balance and mobility • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • One-leg stance • Forward Reach (FR) • Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) • COP, dynamic posturography, postural sway test using a force platform • Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) |
• No significant difference between groups for TUG, one leg stance, FR, or POMA • No significant difference between groups for COP measures; all groups showed a significant improvements in COP parameters over time • No significant difference between groups for FES |
| IG | 14 | 69.3 | 6.0 | Tai Chi supervised program: 12 movements using small forward and backward steps, weight transfers from 1 leg to the other, posture alignment, small knee bends and moving slowly with a gentle resistance | |||
| CG | 14 | 76.0 | 7.7 | Conventional exercise. Traditional supervised balance program | |||
| Ray et al35 | IG | 29 | 75.0 | NS | AVGs combined with exercise. Wii Fit Wii-balance board and weighted vests. The intervention included 15-25 chair stands while wearing the weight vest and bouts of walking for 5-10 min at a time |
Balance and physical performance • Senior Fitness Test: includes chair-stand test, arm curl, 6-Min Walking Test, chair-sit-and-reach test, back-scratch test and 8-foot up-and-go test • “NeuroCom Sensory Organization Test”: COP and limits of stability (LOS), postural sway under a range of conditions (control, visual, auditory and cognitive distractors) (Stroop test) |
• Significant improvement in favor of IG for 8-ft up-and-go test and 30-s chair stands • No significant difference between groups for COP or LOS measures; all groups showed a significant improvements in COP parameters over time |
| IG | 40 | Conventional exercise. Group fitness strengthening exercises for lower leg and upper body strength, plus flexibility and walking | |||||
| CG | 18 | Conventional exercise. Balance using functional activities, for example, standing, stepping, and walking on a compliant surface; walking and pivoting 180°; stair walking | |||||
| Rendon et al36 | IG | 20 | 85.7 | 4.3 | AVGs combined with exercise. Wii Fit Balance plus exercycle |
Balance and mobility • 8-ft Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) • Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) |
• Significant improvement in 8-ft TUG in favor of AVG group • Significant improvement in ABS score in favor of AVG group • Not significant difference in GDS |
| CG | 20 | 83.3 | 6.2 | No intervention | |||
| Sato et al37 | IG | 28 | 70.7 | 5.35 | AVGs alone. Balance games custom designed using Kinect motion sensor |
Balance, mobility, and gait parameters • Berg Balance Scale (BBS) • Functional reach (FR) • 30-s chair stand • Gait performance parameters measured using 3D motion analysis (ie, velocity, stride length, cadence, double support time, and swing time) |
• Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for BBS, FR and 30-s Chair Stand |
| CG | 26 | 68.5 | 5.47 | No intervention | |||
| Schoene et al38 | IG | 19 | 77.5 | 4.5 | AVGs alone. Dance Dance Revolution—an open source platform with Step Mania, specifically modified, using a dance mat |
Balance and mobility • Stepping Reaction Time (SRT) • Physiological Profile Assessment test (PPA) battery: (i) visual contrast sensitivity, (ii) hand reaction time, (iii) standing balance on foam, (iv) knee joint position sense, and (v) knee extension strength • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • 5 times sit-stand |
• Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for SRT • Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for PPA composite scores • Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for dual-task TUG scores • No significant between group-differences for TUG |
| CG | 18 | 78.4 | 4.5 | No intervention | |||
| Szturm et al39 | IG | 15 | 80.5 | 6.0 | AVGs alone. Custom-designed weight transfer progressive balance games on a pressure mat ± sponge surface, linked to computer monitor, requiring movement of COP |
Balance, mobility, and gait parameters • Berg Balance Scale (BBS) • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) • Gait performance parameters measured using GAITRite walkway • Dynamic balance tests performed on foam. Outcome for tests was a “Loss of Balance” score |
• Significant between-group improvements in BBS scores in favor of the IG • No significant within or between-group differences in TUG scores • Significant within-group improvements in ABC scores in the IG the IG but not in the CG. • No significant within or between-group differences in gait velocity • Significant within-group improvements in “Loss of Balance” scores on foam in the IG but not in the CG |
| CG | 15 | 81.0 | 7.0 | Conventional exercise. Strength and balance program using Thera-Band, leg weights, cycle, weight-bearing balance exercises (eg, sit to stand, squats, and step-ups) | |||
| Toulotte et al40 | IG | 9 | 72.2 | 8.6 | AVGs alone. Wii Fit including balance board |
Balance • Tinetti balance test battery (POMA) • Unipedal standing |
• Significant within-group improvements in POMA scores in Exercise group, Wii group and Wii plus exercise groups • No between-group differences reported • Significant within-group improvements in Unipedal standing scores in exercise group, and Wii plus exercise groups. No significant change in Wii group |
| Bieryla and Dold23 | IG | 12 | 82.6 | 1.6 | AVGs alone. Wii yoga (half-moon, chair, warrior), aerobic (torso twists), and balance games (soccer heading, ski jump) modes. Advanced as participants could manage |
Balance and mobility • Berg Balance Scale (BBS) • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Forward Reach • Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale |
• Significant change in BBS pre/post for IG but not CG • No significant change for other measures |
| CG | 12 | 80.5 | 7.8 | No intervention | |||
| Cho et al24 | IG | 17 | 73.1 | 1.1 | AVGs alone. Wii Fit ski slalom, table tilt and balance bubble |
Balance • COP eyes open and closed |
• Significant improvement (reduction) in COP excursion for IG but not CG |
| CG | 15 | 71.7 | 1.2 | No intervention | |||
| Duque et al32 | IG | 30 | 79.3 | 10 | AVGs combined with exercise. Balance Rehabilitation Unit—combination of visual vestibular retraining (saccadic, optokinetic stimulation, vestibular optokinetic and vestibular-ocular reflex exercises performed while standing) and postural retraining using the virtual reality head set, consisting of 3 different postural training games with increasing levels of complexity, in addition to usual care |
Balance • Limits of stability (LOS) and COP using the “Balance Rehabilitation Unit” • Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly (SAFE) questionnaire |
• Significant within-group improvements in COP and LOS for the IG but no significant difference between IG and CGs. Significant improvement (reduction) in COP excursion and improvement (increase) in LOS for IG compared with CG at 9 mos for some conditions. • SAFE scores significantly better in IG compared with CG |
| CG | 40 | 75 | 8 | Usual care. A care plan on falls prevention including an invitation to join an exercise program (following the Otago protocol) medication review, home visit by an occupational therapist, hearing and visual assessment, nutritional supplements and vitamin D supplementation as required and education materials on falls prevention | |||
| Franco et al26 | IG | 11 | 79.8 | 4.7 | AVGs combined with exercise. Wii Fit balance, individual supervised sessions plus home exercise program |
Balance and acceptability • Berg Balance Scale (BBS) • Tinetti Gait and Balance Assessment (POMA) • SF36 health survey • Wii Fit enjoyment questionnaire- specifically developed for the study |
• No significant between-group pre/post differences in BBS, POMA or SF36 scores • Participants enjoyed AVGs and many preferred them to usual exercise |
| IG | 11 | 77.9 | 6.9 | Balance exercise. “Matter of Balance” group exercises warm-up, strength and balance and cool-down | |||
| CG | 10 | 76.9 | 6.3 | No intervention | |||
| Jorgensen et al27 | IG | 28 | 75.9 | 5.7 | AVGs combined with exercise. Wii Fit Balance games, leg strength and standing row squat |
Physical performance and balance • Maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MVC)of leg extensors • Postural sway (COP) • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Short-form Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-1) • 30-s repeated chair stand test |
• Significant improvement in MVC of IG compared with CG • No significant difference between groups for COP • Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for TUG, FES-1 and chair stand tests |
| CG | 30 | 73.7 | 6.1 | Placebo insoles | |||
| Lai et al25 | IG | 15 | 70.6 | 3.5 | AVGs alone. Xavix measured step system (XMSS)––uses a step mat plus console and television |
Balance and mobility • Berg Balance Scale (BBS) • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES) • Unipedal stance test • Postural sway: sway area, sway velocity, and COP tests |
• Significant within-group improvements in BBS, TUG and MFES and Sway Velocity test for the IG. No significant within-group improvements in BBS, TUG and MFES and Sway Velocity test for the CG. Between-group comparison not reported |
| CG | 15 | 74.5 | 4.7 | No intervention | |||
| Laver et al28 | IG | 22 | 85.2 | 4.7 | AVGs alone. Wii Fit program set and supervised by physiotherapists delivered one to one including balance, strength and light aerobics in standing |
Balance and mobility • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) • Modified Berg Balance Scale (MBBS) • Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (Timed IADL) test • Functional Independence Measure (FIM) • Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) • Health-related quality of life (EQ5D) |
• Rate of improvement per session significantly greater in the IG than in the CG for TUG and BBS scores • No significant differences were found between groups for the SPPB, Timed IADL Test, ABC Scale, or EQ5D |
| CG | 22 | 84.6 | 4.4 | Conventional physiotherapy. Walking balancing, transfers | |||
| Lee et al29 | IG | 40 | 75.2 | 6.6 | AVGs combined with exercise. Wii Fit and Wii sports games, walking, chair stands with weighted vest and another 5-min walk | Balance and gait parameters • Balance Efficacy Scale (BES) • Gait performance parameters measured using GAITRite walkway (ie, velocity, stride length, cadence, double support time, and swing time) | • No significant between-group differences in BES • Significant within-group differences in gait velocity, stride length, cadence, swing time and reduction in double support time but no between-group differences |
| CG | 42 | Conventional exercise, for example, chair stands, chair lunge, heel raise, stepping, and arm curl using Thera-Bands; stretching (upper and lower body muscles) and balancing activities (stand on one leg, hold a small ball) | |||||
| Maillot et al30 | IG | 16 | 73.5 | 4.1 | AVGs alone. Three time periods of (i) Nintendo Wii Fit (plus balance board), in pairs, playing Wii boxing/tennis/bowling; (ii) individual Wii balance board games; (iii) a final Wii game for either balance, energy, or cognition |
Physical performance and cognitive function • Senior Fitness Test (SFT): includes chair-stand test, arm curl, 6-Min Walking Test, chair-sit-and-reach test, back-scratch test and 8-ft up-and-go test • Cognitive test battery: (i) executive control tasks, (ii) visuospatial tasks, (iii) processing-speed tasks |
• Significant improvement in SFT scores in favor of the IG for all measures except flexibility • Significant improvement scores in favor of the IG for executive control and processing speed but not for visuospatial tasks |
| CG | 16 | 73.5 | 3.0 | No intervention | |||
| Pichierri et al31 | IG | 15 | 86.9 | 5.1 | AVGs combined with exercise. Exercise program consisting of progressive resistance and postural balance training including 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions of lower limb exercises with training intensity controlled using Borg's perceived exertion scale; plus a progressive video game dancing program using a modification of Step Mania (Dance Dance Revolution) | Balance and gait parameters • Foot placement accuracy (FPA) • Gait performance parameters measured using GAITRite walkway (ie, velocity, stride length, cadence, double support time, and swing time Gaze parameters) • Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-IG) | • No significant difference between groups for FPA • Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for gait velocity, stride length, cadence, swing time and single support time under dual-task conditions • No significant difference between groups for FES-IG |
| CG | 16 | 85.6 | 4.2 | Conventional Exercise. Progressive resistance and postural balance training as above | |||
| Pichierri et al33 | IG | 9 | 83.6 | 3.4 | AVGs combined with exercise. Warm-up, resistance exercises with weighted vests, balance exercises, and dance video gaming using a modification of Step Mania (Dance Dance Revolution) |
Balance • Stepping reaction time tasks (SRT) using a force platform under single- and dual-task (Stroop test) conditions |
• Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG SRT under dual-task conditions |
| CG | 6 | 86.2 | 4.8 | No intervention | |||
| Pluchino et al34 | IG | 12 | 70.7 | 8.5 | AVGs alone. Wii Fit Balance, that requires weight shifts to lay the game: soccer heading, ski slalom, ski jump, table tilt, tightrope walk, river bubble, penguin slide snowboard slalom, lotus focus |
Balance and mobility • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • One-leg stance • Forward Reach (FR) • Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) • COP, dynamic posturography, postural sway test using a force platform • Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) |
• No significant difference between groups for TUG, one leg stance, FR, or POMA • No significant difference between groups for COP measures; all groups showed a significant improvements in COP parameters over time • No significant difference between groups for FES |
| IG | 14 | 69.3 | 6.0 | Tai Chi supervised program: 12 movements using small forward and backward steps, weight transfers from one leg to the other, posture alignment, small knee bends and moving slowly with a gentle resistance | |||
| CG | 14 | 76.0 | 7.7 | Conventional exercise. Traditional supervised balance program | |||
| Ray et al35 | IG | 29 | 75.0 | NS | AVGs combined with exercise. Wii Fit Wii-balance board and weighted vests. The intervention included 15-25 chair stands while wearing the weight vest and bouts of walking for 5-10 min at a time |
Balance and physical performance • Senior Fitness Test: includes chair-stand test, arm curl, 6-Min Walking Test, chair-sit-and-reach test, back-scratch test and 8-ft up-and-go test • “NeuroCom Sensory Organization Test”: COP and limits of stability (LOS), postural sway under a range of conditions (control, visual, auditory, and cognitive distractors) (Stroop test) |
• Significant improvement in favor of IG for 8-ft up-and-go test and 30-s chair stands • No significant difference between groups for COP or LOS measures; all groups showed a significant improvements in COP parameters over time |
| IG | 40 | Conventional exercise. Group Fitness strengthening exercises for lower leg and upper body strength, plus flexibility and walking | |||||
| CG | 18 | Conventional exercise. Balance using functional activities, for example, standing, stepping and walking on a compliant surface; walking and pivoting 180°; stair walking | |||||
| Rendon et al36 | IG | 20 | 85.7 | 4.3 | AVGs combined with exercise. Wii Fit Balance plus exercycle |
Balance and mobility • 8-ft Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) • Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) |
• Significant improvement in 8-ft TUG in favor of AVG group • Significant improvement in ABS score in favor of AVG group • Not significant difference in GDS |
| CG | 20 | 83.3 | 6.2 | No intervention | |||
| Sato et al37 | IG | 28 | 70.7 | 5.35 | AVGs alone. Balance games custom designed using Kinect motion sensor |
Balance, mobility, and gait parameters • Berg Balance Scale (BBS) • Functional reach (FR) • 30-s chair stand • Gait performance parameters measured using 3D motion analysis (ie, velocity, stride length, cadence, double support time, and swing time) |
• Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for BBS, FR and 30-s Chair Stand |
| CG | 26 | 68.5 | 5.47 | No intervention | |||
| Schoene et al38 | IG | 19 | 77.5 | 4.5 | AVGs alone. Dance Dance Revolution—an open source platform with Step Mania, specifically modified, using a dance mat |
Balance and mobility • Stepping Reaction Time (SRT) • Physiological Profile Assessment test (PPA) battery: (i) visual contrast sensitivity, (ii) hand reaction time, (iii) standing balance on foam, (iv) knee joint position sense, and (v) knee extension strength • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • 5 times sit-stand |
• Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for SRT. • Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for PPA composite scores • Significant between-group differences in favor of the IG for dual-task TUG scores • No significant between-group differences for TUG |
| CG | 18 | 78.4 | 4.5 | No intervention | |||
| Szturm et al39 | IG | 15 | 80.5 | 6.0 | AVGs alone. Custom-designed weight transfer progressive balance games on a pressure mat ± sponge surface, linked to computer monitor, requiring movement of COP |
Balance, mobility, and gait parameters • Berg Balance Scale (BBS) • Timed Up and Go (TUG) • Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) • Gait performance parameters measured using GAITRite walkway • Dynamic balance tests performed on foam. Outcome for tests was a “Loss of Balance” score |
• Significant between-group improvements in BBS scores in favor of the IG • No significant within or between-group differences in TUG scores • Significant within-group improvements in ABC scores in the IG the IG but not in the CG. • No significant within or between-group differences in gait velocity • Significant within-group improvements in “Loss of Balance” scores on foam in the IG but not in the CG. |
| CG | 15 | 81.0 | 7.0 | Conventional exercise. Strength and balance program using Thera-Band, leg weights, cycle, weight-bearing balance exercises (eg, sit to stand, squats, and step–ups) | |||
| Toulotte et al40 | IG | 9 | 72.2 | 8.6 | AVGs alone. Wii Fit including balance board |
Balance • Tinetti balance test battery (POMA) • Unipedal standing |
• Significant within-group improvements in POMA scores in exercise group, Wii group and Wii plus exercise groups • No between-group differences reported • Significant within-group improvements in Unipedal standing scores in exercise group, and Wii plus exercise groups. No significant change in Wii group. |
| IG | 9 | 84.2 | 8.1 | Conventional exercise alone. Adapted Physical Activities (APA): muscle strength, lower limb mobility, proprioception, balance | |||
| IG | 9 | 76.4 | 4.7 | AVGs combined with exercise APA and Wii Fit | |||
| CG | 9 | 71.8 | 8.0 | Board games and TV watching |
Abbreviations: AVGs, active video games; CG, control group; COP, center of pressure; IG, intervention group; NS, not significant, SD, standard deviation.