Ghostly, an electromyography-based serious game to counter muscle mass and strength loss in hospitalized older adults
R. Debeuf, R. Claeys, M. Berlanger, M. Bunt, A. Debain, D. De Vlieger, M. Eggermont, M. Firouzi, S. Guida, K. Kostkova, S. Lieten, L. Omelina, S. Zaccardi, B. Jansen, E. Swinnen, D. Beckwée
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AbstractThe functional decline experienced by older adults and its interaction with morbidities expose them to an increased vulnerability to stressors (i.e., frailty) and higher risk of hospitalization. Additionally, hospitalization itself also poses risks for functional decline because of the negative effects of prolonged bedrest and restrictions in activity. This bedrest and restriction in activity leads to significant decline in several functional parameters and multiple muscle characteristics (e.g., muscle mass, muscle strength, etc.). Furthermore, strategies to mitigate these effects include targeted physical activity interventions, but these patients are often unable to perform dynamic, more high load functional exercises, further limiting recovery. With this in mind, the implementation of low load blood flow restriction training, in which the blood flow towards the targeted muscle is partially restricted during training, shows promising results. This novel training modality is proven to have beneficial effects on muscle mass and muscle strength compared to regular low load strength training. Moreover, serious games might provide a relevant solution to bridge the gap between exercise in bed and more functional out-of-bed exercises. Based on the principles of user-centered design, the Ghostly game, an electromyography-based serious game was developed as part of a co-creation process between engineers, clinicians and different patient populations. This feasibility study collected relevant data on usability and user experience from hospitalized older adults which in turn will be used to further develop the game and structure future larger randomized pilot studies.Keywords: rehabilitation technology, user-centered design, healthy ageing
R. Debeuf, R. Claeys, M. Berlanger, M. Bunt, A. Debain, D. De Vlieger, M. Eggermont, M. Firouzi, S. Guida, K. Kostkova, S. Lieten, L. Omelina, S. Zaccardi, B. Jansen, E. Swinnen, D. Beckwée (2024). Ghostly, an electromyography-based serious game to counter muscle mass and strength loss in hospitalized older adults. Gerontechnology, 23(2), 1-1
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2024.23.s.1068.opp