Personalized Use of an Adjustable Movement-Controlled Video Game in Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy during Physiotherapy Sessions at School: A Case Report

Abstract

This case study explores the use of a personalized, adjustable Kinect exergame in 10 physiotherapy sessions for a 10-year-old girl with incomplete right-sided obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP). The aim was to observe the impact on the patient’s upper limb mobility that could be achieved through maximization of the player’s motivation, possibly due to continuous game parameter adjustments. It had been achieved that the patient was playing 87% of the total gaming time with a personally challenging setting that increased her arm speed from one to four movements. Strength in abduction and flexion were increased by 8 N and 7 N, respectively. Furthermore, the patient showed better muscular balance and an increase of 50% in speed of the Jebsen-Taylor hand function test (JTHFT). The patient reported high levels of motivation, low perception of fatigue, and just slight discomfort. The study found that the use of personalized video games as a complement to conventional physiotherapy can be successful in OBPP patients when the game allows for the adjustment of the difficulty level as a response to personal performance. Predefined difficulty levels and automatic performance analysis can be helpful. Results are promising; however, further research is needed to confirm the results.