Centralight

When Franks' 45-minute virtual therapy session ended, he talked about the improvement made since his last session. During the virtual therapy, Franks gets affirmation on the screen, and the game tracks his success rate. "I have seen improvement in my reach and in my neck movement," says Franks, whose TBI was caused by a 2007 car accident. "This game is really cool. It's not boring. I am not asked repeatedly, 'Can you reach this or that?' I play a game and, at the end, I see how well I've done." "The problem facing most people with traumatic brain injuries that we are seeing is that they live in remote areas, and they depend on transportation to bring them to CMU and back," Ustinova says. "They show and retain improvement, but they would benefit from more frequent sessions." Using technology similar to the Xbox Kinect sensor, which allows for advanced gesture recognition, the team is in the process of creating an at-home option. Along with the game, the kit will include a movement sensor and a laptop (for those people without a high-definition television). Ustinova says that data collected has shown that the game has been helpful in triggering patients to remember forgotten movements. Out of the dozen people who have used the gaming equipment, all have shown improvement – and, most importantly, have retained the increased mobility. As the patient improves, the game's parameters and speed can be adjusted. She says the game format is successful because it urges the brain to find the best strategy; patients are not just following a doctor's instruction. "I worked as a physical therapist (at a private practice) for 16 years, and clinical rehabilitation has reached a plateau," she says. "We needed to come up with something else, like an advanced rehabilitation that could challenge the central nervous system to make the decision. I believe virtual rehabilitation is the answer." What's next? Now that Ustinova and the CMU team have designed a viable virtual gaming option, they are working on making the virtual therapy more accessible to those who need it. With two percent of the U.S. population on disability due to TBI, Ustinova says it is important to provide a successful, inexpensive in-home option. The goal is to have the tele-rehabilitation gaming equipment kits available by 2011's end. Currently, Ustinova and her team also are developing a virtual game that addresses leg movement, balance and response time. They expect to have the new virtual reality game – which has a street/ sidewalk setting – ready for testing in August. "This one will have movements to avoid obstacles on the sidewalk. Those movements will include stepping right, left, jumping over and ducking under." Ustinova says. Franks is glad to hear of the upcoming virtual therapy goals of Ustinova's team. "I need to keep working hard, and this will help me to do that, and it will show me how far I've come," says Franks, who recently signed up to participate on a slow-pitch softball league. "It is important for people with traumatic brain injuries to keep working and not to give up. I tell myself – and so far it's worked – if you work hard enough to accomplish something, you probably can." • alumni.cmich.edu/centralight for more centralight summer '11 19

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