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Balanced “Wiisearch”
OT Students receive Dean’s Research Award
Health Sciences Research Day is a chance for School of Health Professions (SHP) students to put their research in the public eye. The recipient of the Dean’s Research Award, chosen by the SHP Research Committee, is based on the significance, approach, innovation and presentation of the research. Occupational therapy (OT) graduate students Kelly Baranyai and Casey Smith won the 2009 award thanks to their outstanding research project on the effects of Nintendo Wii Fit on balance and cognition. They found that the Wii helped improve balance skills necessary for activities of daily living as well as cognitive skills. The Adult OT Clinic already had a Wii that was used for therapy so the students added the balance board to it so they could test the benefits of the Wii Fit on balance. “Since the Wii technology is fairly inexpensive and fun to use, we wanted to see if it would be a good tool to use in addition to traditional OT,” says Smith.
Photos provided by Giulianne Krug
A research subject on the Wii Fit balance board, which was found to be an effective tool in improving her balance and cognition.
Baranyai and Smith’s research participant was a 38 year-old woman with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The students performed assessments of her balance, daily living activities and occupational performance prior to using the Wii. After using the Wii, the results showed a significant increase in scores in all assessment areas. The participant showed improved endurance while standing as well as the ability to stand on one foot and transfer more safely.
The benefits of the Wii are not just physical. Cognitively, she improved in memory, attention and decreased the time needed to complete daily activities. Due to the small sample size the results cannot be generalized to the overall population of individuals with MS. However, their mentor, Clinical Assistant Professor Giuli Krug, says the project shows how to use the Wii in a measurable fashion clinically as well as its potential efficacy as a treatment strategy.
After working on the project for nearly a year, Baranyai and Smith were ecstatic when they found out they won the Dean’s Research Award. “It was a very long process, but very worth it,” says Smith.
Doing this in-depth research not only gave the students an award, but also knowledge they can use in the future. “It helped us to learn to ‘think outside the box’ by using non-traditional therapy treatments and utilize the new technology available,” says Baranyai.
Krug believes the research gives the students a foundation for future research. “It helps the students to learn what evidence-based practice really is, and how important it is to our profession. With this particular type of clinical research, the students can see that they really do make a difference in the lives of people we serve.”
SHP Associate Dean Dr. Kristofer Hagglund is a strong supporter of the award and says, “Research is part of the mission of SHP: to teach, to serve, to discover.”
— Karen Hecksel
Page last updated on: March 1, 2010
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