Campus Involvement — by Kayla O'Brien on December 6, 2009 at 4:56 pm Tweet

Remember those signs that hung outside your dorm room advertising LINK LOOT points for the past 3 months? If you actually attended one of these events you probably realized how dedicated many student were to collecting these points.

But what was so important about these Link Loots? on Wednesday night the freshmen of UCF gathered in the Pegasus Ballroom for the annual Link Loot auction. after registering I found out that I had 6,000 points and felt confident about my chances of winning one of the many items located on the prize table in the front of the room.

Soon after the auction began I realized that my point count was no match to my fellow classmates. each link loot point accumulated during the fall semester could go towards winning some pretty sweet prizes. A 32 inch flat screen TV, Blue Ray Player, mountain bike, PS3 gaming system and the Wii just to name a few.

The most anticipated prize of the night was a giant tuition check that sold for 73,000 points. 2 students bid an equal amount and therefore the winner was determined in a best out of 3 rock paper scissors show down. At the end of the night I unfortunatley left empty handed but the experience has inspired me to collect more loot next semester!!

The Atlantic, News Feature, Aylin Zafar, Posted: Feb 22, 2011

For years, increasingly sophisticated video games came with increasingly daunting controllers. Anyone who grew up with Pong or an NES could be forgiven for fearing today’s byzantine rigs. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the new, more intuitive interfaces of the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect have opened up new markets for video games. What is surprising, however, is how psychologically beneficial these new activities are for a key new group: elders.the Wii has been popular for some time among older consumers, and last holiday’s hot item, the Kinect, is just reaching past its earliest adopters. while the Wiimote sent signals from a controller you held to a receiver near your TV, the Kinect detects your body and uses it as the game controller. Both fit under the general category of "motion gaming," which dispenses with the traditional buttons and joysticks of yore.Studies show that video games encouraging physical activity also help with depression, sense of place and relevance.There’s no denying the physical benefits of motion gaming: Studies have shown that even just a few sessions with the Wii have led to improved balance, coordination and strength, and could help prevent falls, a serious concern for many seniors. Wii Bowling has spawned entire leagues and tournaments, taking over nursing homes, retirement communities and community centers as one of the fastest-growing and most popular social activities.Beyond Fun and GamesBut the benefits may extend beyond just fun and games. Studies are also showing that these exergames–video games that encourage physical activity–are also proving to help with depression, sense of place and relevance. they may even help bridge generational divides between grandparents and younger adults or children by offering them an equal playing ground.In a poster presentation at the Gerontological Society of America’s Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans late last year, Patricia Kahlbaugh, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at Southern Connecticut State University, presented a study on the effects of playing Wii on loneliness and mood in the elderly.As some adults get older, they may no longer have the physical strength or agility to engage in their chosen pleasures of life. For some, the sense of loss can deepen into depression. By recreating the experience of previously enjoyed activities, such as tennis, bowling, and golf, Kahlbaugh says the Nintendo Wii may allow elderly individuals to engage in these previously enjoyed activities, allowing them to "regain the psychological benefits such activities once afforded them."To test the game’s impact on greater life satisfaction, loneliness, greater positive mood and increased physical activity, Kahlbaugh created a study of 36 individuals–average age 82.6 years–from residential facilities in Connecticut’s New Haven County. All were in general good health and held at least high school degrees. the participants were split into two groups– 16 were assigned to play the Wii for an hour per week with an undergraduate student, while 12 watched an hour of television per week with an undergraduate student, all over a span of 10 weeks. seven students were then assigned as additional controls.while the quantitative results didn’t yield differences between groups in life satisfaction or weekly physical activity, the Wii participants reported higher positive mood in comparison to the TV group. the Wii group also reported feelings of decreased loneliness and feeling more connected to others, which could be attributed to the social nature of the game and the subculture it created within the residential community of those participating in the Wii study.the feedback from the seniors themselves was more telling, Kahlbaugh says. Participants made comments about feeling "more a part of things" or feeling "more in" with the younger generation, creating a greater sense of self and purpose. "there was an older gentleman who came to play a session with his old bowling trophies," said Kahlbaugh. "For him, playing the Wii was a way to recapture the fun and sense of achievement he had had in the past." the study was so popular among participants, two of her students stayed on after the study to volunteer with the seniors, who wanted to continue their weekly bowling sessions.Exergames Cut Depression in HalfAnother study by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine supports the link between exergames and mental health in seniors. Focusing on seniors with subsyndromal depression (SSD), researchers conducted a study of 19 participants (ages 63-94), who played an exergame on the Wii for 35 minutes, three times a week. "more than one-third of participants reported a 50 percent or greater reduction of depressive symptoms," said lead researcher Dilip V. Jeste, MD. "many had a significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and increased cognitive stimulation."For Kahlbaugh, the study of interactive gaming’s impact on depression and mood was a personal one. "my motivation for this [study] stemmed from my dad who had his leg amputated due to diabetes several years ago," she said. Kahlbaugh grew up playing tennis with her father, who is now occupied as the sole caretaker of her mother who has Alzheimer’s.given a Nintendo Wii Sports package by his kids, he spent hours at a time playing the games. After one such night, Kahlbaugh asked him what he got out of the Wii experience. What her Dad said struck her: "the trick of getting older successfully is finding out how to stay relevant.""I’ve always had that quote in my mind and [it], in fact, is the reason I set out to do the study in the first place. I really wanted to find out if the Wii would have positive benefits to the elderly in terms of successful aging," Kahlbaugh said. it seems to have, so far.more than just a game or workout, motion gaming is a link between the evolving technological world and the pastimes seniors have long enjoyed–and, really, who wants to feel like they’re being left behind?Aylin Zafar wrote this article for theatlantic.com/technology as part of her MetLife Foundation Journalists on Aging Fellowship in partnership with New America Media and the Gerontological Society of America.Copyright © 2011 by the Atlantic Monthly Group. All Rights Reserved.

Thu, 02 Dec 2010

Helen Mirren welcomes first ever UK Wii-habilitation study for Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s UK has awarded an innovation grant of nearly £35,000 to Dr Cathy Craig at the School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, to investigate the potential benefits of the Nintendo Wii for people with Parkinson’s.

The charity has invested in this research because it has received overwhelming feedback from people with Parkinson’s who are finding that using a Wii is a really good way to exercise at home and has helped them with their balance, movements and mood. 

Existing research shows that exercise could protect the nerve cells that are dying in Parkinson’s, helping them work better and survive for longer.

As Parkinson’s develops, many people experience slowed movement, rigidity and tremor, as well as lack of balance and co-ordination. these symptoms often get worse over time. Difficulty with memory and attention are also common for people with Parkinson’s.

In a recent snap poll1 of people with Parkinson’s who use the Wii eight out of ten (81 per cent) respondents said that they use it for exercise and two thirds (68 per cent) felt that using the Wii helps them manage their symptoms. one in three (30 per cent) respondents said that they use the Wii every day, while 39 per cent use it at least once a week.

Karen Rose, 47, from Bristol, is currently being featured in one of Nintendo’s real story TV adverts. she started using the Wii a couple of years ago and uses the Wii Fit.  she said: “Keeping moving is really important because of the stiffness. by doing the Wii I find that you loosen up the muscles that are constantly spasming.

“Most people with Parkinson’s find that they lose their confidence. so I tend to do exercise at home. I’ve got all the benefits of a gym, but I can do it to fit in with my lifestyle and my medication. it gives you a burst somehow, and it makes you feel better, and then you have a better day.”

Oscar winning actress Helen Mirren commented in the media this morning about how Parkinson’s affects the lives of people with the condition. she revealed that a good friend of hers was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about 10 years ago.

This personal connection to Parkinson’s is the reason that she’s interested in how the Wii could help people with Parkinson’s with their balance and she welcomed our research.

Dr Craig’s team aims are to evaluate the benefits of existing games using Wii technology and harness the power of this movement based game technology to develop their own specially designed bespoke games to be used by people with Parkinson’s.

The research aims to address two questions:

Does the use of the Wii system improve the physical abilities and lifestyle of people with Parkinson’s?

How do the various games improve specific symptoms of Parkinson’s including tremor, slowness of movement and balance?

Two groups of people with Parkinson’s will take part in the research. one group will be asked to use the existing Wii system. the second group will try out new, specially designed bespoke movement-based games.

Dr Craig said: “our hope is to harness the benefits of the Wii technology to develop a system designed specifically for people with Parkinson’s. If the project is successful the benefits could be twofold. it could allow us to develop a simple way to assess Parkinson’s symptoms yet provide a safe and effective way for people with the condition to be more active and keep fit.”

Dr Kieran Breen, Director of Research and Development at Parkinson’s UK, said: “Exercise can help people with Parkinson’s to control movements, improve balance and improve their mood and we are hearing of more and more people who are finding it of benefit, and this research will explore the science behind it.  

“it could lead to more people feeling confident about using the Wii in the comfort of their homes. the Wii also has the potential to be used as a way of measuring the symptoms for Parkinson’s in future clinical trials of other treatments.

“this is just the kind of innovative research we like to fund to help improve life for people affected by Parkinson’s, while we search for that all important cure.”

To find out more about Parkinson’s and the Wii visit parkinsons.org.uk/wii.

Posted by: Nick Spence

Email this article to a friend or colleague:

PLEASE NOTE: your name is used only to let the recipient know who sent the story, and in case of transmission error. Both your name and the recipient’s name and address will not be used for any other purpose.

<<newer entry  |  older entry>>

What are your views on this subject? use the form below to post a comment on this article up to 1000 characters.

Disclaimer Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Macworld. Macworld accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Click here to read the house rules.

Please login to post comments