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Game Console Treats Depression in Elderly

In a study published in February, psychiatrists at the UCSD School of Medicine found evidence that video games that combine the thrill of competition with exercise — like Nintendo’s Wii Sports — lower symptoms of a mild form of depression common in older adults.

These exergames can help seniors improve their moods by producing endorphins and encouraging them to exercise.
Subsyndromal depression, which is more common than clinical depression in older adults, is associated with functional disabilities, increased medical costs and higher mortality. Physical activity can improve health and reduce depressive symptoms, but those with SSD may not enjoy physical activity as much, and are likely to stop exercising prematurely.

“The issue with older people has always been that they don’t sustain exercise,” psychiatry Ph.D candidate Ipsit V. Vahia said. “Our theory was that maybe if we use video games, then it’s a way of getting older people to get some exercise. It offers advantages: they can do it in their house, it’s safer and it can also be more entertaining, so they’re likely to do it more often.”

Vahia worked with fellow co-investigator Colin Depp, an assistant adjunct professor of psychiatry, in the study led by Dilip V. Jeste. Jeste is a professor of psychiatry and neurosciences at the UCSD School of Medicine and director of the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging.

In a preliminary study, the researchers collaborated with CalIT2 — which gave guidance on how to choose the right physical activity levels to ensure safety — to figure out how to get older adults to stick with an exercise plan.

The researchers thought exergames could allow SSD patients to get their recommended amount of physical activity without leaving their house. The researchers decided to use the commercially available Wii Sports so that they could reach a broader audience.

“They liked Wii Sports mainly because it was so easy to use, and they liked creating the Mii character for themselves — it made it more engaging,” Vahia said.

The researchers then tested the effectiveness and safety of Wii games on 19 participants aged 63 to 94. The seniors played one of the five Wii Sports games — bowling, boxing, tennis, golf and baseball — for 35 minutes, three times a week for 12 weeks.

After playing the game, the participants rated their experiences with the Wii with high satisfaction. From these self-reported scales on mood, cognition and functioning, the researchers found that more than a third of the participant’s reported a decrease in depression symptoms by 50 percent or more.

Specifically, they found that there was a large improvement in depressive symptoms, mental health-related quality of life and cognitive performance.

“It is our hope that we can demonstrate exergames as a safe and effective way of improving physical activity in older adults,” Vahia said.

The study also concluded that older adults can play exergames without injury if they are properly trained.

The researchers are now planning to do a more detailed study, where they will be looking at the physiological and psychological effects of exergames. They will also be testing exergames on a larger pool of participants, who will be chosen at random and compared with a control group.

They will also explore the uses of exergames in different demographics.

Readers can contact Regina Ip at [email protected].

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