Cognitive and motor effects of Kinect-based games training in people with and without Parkinson disease: A preliminary study

OBJECTIVE: Purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of training with six commercial Xbox KinectTM games on cognitive and motor aspects in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and to compare the effects with a group of paired healthy subjects. METHODS: This study was a quasi-experimental, controlled trial. Eight individuals with PD (mean age 68.9 ± 7.9) and eight older adults without PD, matched by age (mean age 67.6 ± 7.3) were enrolled in the study. Ten sessions of six Xbox 360 KinectTM commercial games were performed for 5 weeks. Subjects were evaluated before and 7 and 30 days after intervention. They were assessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Timed Up and Go test, Ten Meters Walking test, and Balance Berg Scale. The Freezing of Gait Questionnaire, the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale, and the Parkinson's disease Questionnaire were also applied to PD group. RESULTS: Significant improvement was found for cognitive aspects measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment and FAB in both groups but without retention on FAB in PD group. No significant improvements were found for motor aspects in none group. CONCLUSION: Motor-cognitive training using Xbox KinectTM games is a feasible resource to improve executive functions in PD patients and in older healthy people.