Training regularly with the Wii Balance Board would help patients with multiple sclerosis improve their balance and the precision of their movements, according to the results of a scientific study published in the medical journal Radiology.
The multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects between 70,000 and 90,000 people in France. Each year between 3000 and 5000 new cases are diagnosed, with a clear predominance in women. Difficulty walking, fatigue, weakness in the limbs, chronic pain are some of the symptoms of the disease.
Regular physical exercise should be practiced by patients with multiple sclerosis
The researchers analyzed by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) the brains of 27 people with multiple sclerosis who had to practice Nintendo’s Wii Balance Board training system every day for 12 weeks. “This balance” allows you to play Wii Fit, and other sports simulation programs.
The results of the MRIs showed that the daily practice of this video game remarkably improved the level of balance and the precision of the movements of the patients.
“These results should have a strong impact on the rehabilitation process of patients, suggesting that they need daily exercises to successfully continue going about their day-to-day activities,” says Luca Prosperini, from the University of Sapienza (Italy), co-author of the study. “But for these beneficial effects to be real, it is imperative that patients with multiple sclerosis are assiduous”.
This study confirms the results of an analysis conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois and the University of Massachusetts in 2010. According to the results of their research, patients with multiple sclerosis practicing fitness or aerobics would have better results in cognitive performance tests than patients who do not practice physical activity.
This study also reveals that the parts of the brain damaged by multiple sclerosis were less deteriorated in patients who performed fitness sessions.
