Effects of Interactive Video Game-Based Exercise on Balance in Diabetic Patients with Peripheral Neuropathy: An Open-Level, Crossover Pilot Study

Erica Shih-Wei Hung; Shih-Ching Chen; Fan-Chien Chang; Yaojung Shiao; Chih-Wei Peng; Chien-Hung Lai

doi:10.1155/2019/4540709

Effects of Interactive Video Game-Based Exercise on Balance in Diabetic Patients with Peripheral Neuropathy: An Open-Level, Crossover Pilot Study

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 Mar 6:2019:4540709. doi: 10.1155/2019/4540709. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Erica Shih-Wei Hung¹, Shih-Ching Chen^{1

2}, Fan-Chien Chang², Yaojung Shiao³, Chih-Wei Peng^{1

2

4

5}, Chien-Hung Lai^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
² Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Department of Vehicle Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁵ Graduate Institute of Biomedical Optomechatronics, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Abstract

Purpose. This study evaluated the effects of interactive video game-based (IVGB) exercise on balance in diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy. Materials and Methods. Twenty-four patients were randomly assigned to two groups (12 participants per group). Group A received IVGB training for the first 6 weeks, with no exercise in the subsequent 6 weeks. Group B had no exercise for the first 6 weeks and then underwent IVGB training in the subsequent 6 weeks. For all participants, the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES), Time Up and Go (TUG) test, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Unipedal Stance Test (UST) were employed at weeks 0, 6, and 12 of the experiment. Results. BBS, right-leg UST, and TUG test scores significantly improved after IVGB intervention, whereas MFES and left-leg UST tended to improve after IVGB intervention. Conclusions. This study revealed that 6-week balance-based exercise training using the IVGB system exerted positive effects on functional balance in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).