Previously submitted to: JMIR Serious Games (no longer under consideration since Feb 02, 2022)
Date Submitted: Jul 8, 2021
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Does Xbox 360 Kinect training improve postural balance in young healthy adults? A preliminary study.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Balance training in young adults may increase coordination, cognitive function or the symmetry of strength on both sides of the body. It is an essential tool for injury or fall prevention and a precondition for becoming a professional athlete.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Xbox 360 Kinect training on postural balance in young, healthy individuals.
Methods:
The study enrolled 75 individuals who were randomly assigned to three equal groups. The first group (Group VR) performed exercises on an Xbox 360 Kinect console, and the second group (Group T) performed conventional all-round exercises. The third group was a control group (Group C). Each group underwent balance assessments on the Biodex Balance posturographic platform, including the Balance Error Scoring System test, before and after the training cycle. The level of statistical significance was set at P<.05.
Results:
Group VR and Group T achieved statistically significant improvements in the sway index compared with baseline. Group T gained significant decrease in the sway index on the unstable surface (P=.002). Group VR and group T demonstrated significant decreases in the mean sway index on stable and unstable surfaces (group VR — P=.035; group T — P=.001) Group C did not achieve a statistically significant improvement in the sway index. None of the groups demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in the test error count.
Conclusions:
Virtual reality in the form of video games played on an Xbox 360 Kinect console may be an effective method of balance training in healthy individuals.
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