Special Educational Needs
| Title |
Effectiveness of virtual reality using Wii gaming technology in children with Down syndrome |
| Design |
Quasi-randomised controlled trial |
| Participants |
105 children with Down syndrome (DS) aged 7-12 |
| Intervention |
- Group 1: Active video gaming (Nintendo Wii)
- Group 2: Standard occupational therapy
- Each intervention group received a 1-h session 2 days per week for 24 weeks.
|
| Comparator |
Control group |
| Major outcomes |
- Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition (BOT-2)
- Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI)
- Test of Sensory Integration Function (TSIF)
|
| Settings |
Intervention administered by therapists |
| Main results |
Both treatment groups performed better than the control group in all measures at post-intervention. Of the two intervention groups, children who received Wii therapy demonstrated the largest increase in post intervention scores on the BOT-2 gross motor subtests. |
| Conclusion |
The results indicated that active video gaming (Wii) improved motor proficiency, visual-integrative abilities, and sensory integrative functions for children with DS. It could be used as adjuvant therapy to other proven successful rehabilitative interventions in treating children with DS. |
| Link |
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21071171/ |
| Reference |
Wuang, Y. P., Chiang, C. S., Su, C. Y., & Wang, C. C. (2011). Effectiveness of virtual reality using Wii gaming technology in children with Down syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32(1), 312–321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2010.10.002 |
| Title |
Changes in cardiometabolic markers in children with Prader–Willi syndrome and nonsyndromic obesity following participation in a home-based physical activity intervention |
| Design |
Pre-post intervention study |
| Participants |
18 children with Prader-Willi syndrome, 30 nonsyndromic children with obesity |
| Intervention |
“Active Play @ Home” intervention was a 24-week physical activity programme comprising age-appropriate playground-based and active video games completed on 4 days / week. |
| Comparator |
Post-intervention |
| Major outcomes |
Physical activity, body composition, blood samples for: glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), lipids, and cytokines. |
| Settings |
Home, playground |
| Main results |
All children (n = 48) showed a significant decrease in Interleukin-8
(3.64 ± 0.24 vs. 3.06 ± 0.22 pg/mL). Children with obesity who did not gain or lost body fat percentage (n = 18) demonstrated a significant decrease in HOMA-IR (3.17 ± 0.39 vs. 2.72 ± 0.34) and an increase in high-density lipoprotein (44.30 ± 2.51 vs. 47.29 ± 2.59 mg/dL). All other measurements showed no significant changes. |
| Conclusion |
The most favourable changes in cardiometabolic factors were
observed in children with nonsyndromic obesity who demonstrated no gain or a decrease in body fat percentage. |
| Link |
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30280511/ |
| Reference |
Rubin, D. A., Duran, A. T., Haqq, A. M., Gertz, E. R., & Dumont-Driscoll, M. (2018). Changes in cardiometabolic markers in children with Prader–Willi syndrome and nonsyndromic obesity following participation in a home-based physical activity intervention. Pediatric Obesity, 13(11), 734–743. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12462 |
