Rehabilitation Gaming

Abstract

A recent innovation in rehabilitation is the use of serious gaming to train motor, cognitive, and social abilities. The main advantages of rehabilitation gaming are related to the motivation to engage in rehabilitation, the objectivity of rehabilitation measurements, and the personalization of the treatment. This chapter focuses on the use and effectiveness of serious gaming in rehabilitation and illustrates the possibilities and strengths in this new and exciting work field. Furthermore, a review of the literature and examples of rehabilitation games are presented. The state-of-the-art technologies and directions for future research are also discussed. Rehabilitation gaming has great potential for today’s and future health care, and despite the research gaps, there is increasing evidence that gaming can positively contribute to the rehabilitation and recovery process.