JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Chronic post-stroke patients commonly experience motor and cognitive impairments that diminish quality of life. Additionally, their participation in rehabilitation is often limited by long travel distances and low motivation. Given the well-documented health benefits of multimodal exercise, along with the accessibility and engagement offered by interactive exergames, delivering such interventions in a remote format may help overcome common barriers and enhance health outcomes for stroke patients.

Objective:

This study aimed to assess the content validity and feasibility of a prototype home-based multimodal exergame for chronic post-stroke patients.

Methods:

The study was conducted in two parts. In Part I, the content validity of a prototype home-based multimodal exergame was evaluated by five experts in relevant fields. Five chronic post-stroke patients were enrolled to evaluate the preliminary usage of the game prototype. Enjoyment, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), user feedback, satisfaction, and safety were assessed. In Part 2, nine chronic post-stroke patients were enrolled to evaluate the feasibility of home-based multimodal exergame. Participants performed the intervention for 60 min./day, 3 days/week, 6 weeks. Feasibility outcomes including adherence, adverse events, motor function, cognitive function, and enjoyment of the program were determined.

Results:

In Part I, the results showed that content validity index for the overall program was 0.82, indicating high content validity. The average total enjoyment score was 47.80 (SD 7.50)/56, RPE was 13.40 (SD 0.55)/20, satisfaction score was 8.60 (SD 1.34)/10, and no adverse events were reported. In Part 2, after the 6-week intervention, global cognition and executive function were significantly improved compared to baseline (P<.05). However, no significant improvement in memory and motor function was observed (P>.05). Participants reported a consistently high level of exercise enjoyment throughout the training period. The average exercise adherence rate was 85.19%, and no adverse events were reported throughout the training.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that prototype home-based multimodal exergame was valid, enjoyable, easily accessible, and user-friendly for chronic post-stroke patients. The home-based multimodal exergame demonstrated potential to enhance cognitive function, maintain high enjoyment levels, and promote adherence to exercise among individuals with chronic stroke, with no adverse events reported during the intervention. Future randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and longer training durations are warranted to confirm and build upon these findings.