Game-changer for Parkinson's disease outcomes
Tuesday, 10 July 2018
A unique gaming system called ‘OrbIT’ will play a lead role in the fight to improve life for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease, thanks to funding from the Estate of the late Olga Mabel Woolger.
In a three-year $90,000 study, Flinders University Rehabilitation Engineer, Mr David Hobbs and University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ neuroscientist Dr will partner with Parkinson’s South Australia to trial OrbIT as a cognitive training device to improve outcomes and delay dementia onset for people with Parkinson’s disease.
The OrbIT gaming system is an accessible, fun, stand-alone computer gaming system that features a novel and easy to use controller. OrbIT engages the player in a targeted, cognitively challenging activity (playing specially designed computer games), while the unique design of the controller facilitates intuitive control without the need for grip and fine motor control. This is particularly important for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease, who may often struggle to use traditional gaming controllers.
“Cognitive decline is one of the most significant predicators of quality of life both for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers, and currently there are no effective treatments for it,” says Dr Collins-Praino. “We hope that the OrbIT system may be able to help individuals maintain, or even improve, their cognitive function by allowing us to target the areas that are most vulnerable in Parkinson’s disease.”
Parkinson’s disease affect