Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

March 4, 2010

Another day, another medical condition that using Nintendo’s Wii may help to alleviate.

Researchers at the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine believe that the Wii can assist people with symptoms of subsyndromal depression (SSD). A pilot study conducted on 19 SSD-afflicted participants between the ages of 63 and 94 years of age had users play a Wii Sports game on the console three times a week for 35-minutes intervals reports Science Daily.

Study lead, Dilip V. Jeste, MD, reported on the results:

More than one-third of the participants had a 50-percent or greater reduction of depressive symptoms. Many had a significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and increased cognitive stimulation.

Jeste cautioned that the study needed to be expanded to larger samples and control groups.

Posted in Academia Games & Health Video Game Research Wii

Comments

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by sharpshooterbabe on Thu, 03/11/2010 - 09:53.

This is a really good idea. Now if they could just have more Wii's in other institutions or hospitals for SSD patients.......

"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by Mr.Tastix on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 11:13.

This article =/= Politics?

-- Randi Tastix

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Randi Tastix - http://randomtastic.com

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by DarkSaber on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 11:22.

Get back in your hole idiot. This has site has ALWAYS covered more than just straight-up gaming in politics.

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by Mr.Tastix on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 23:16.

Ooh, you're good! Calling me an idiot online! Congratulations, how do you feel?

That was sarcasm, I hope you could tell.

-- Randi Tastix

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Randi Tastix - http://randomtastic.com

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by SimonBob on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 10:39.

I've just come back from the alternate dimension where video games really do cause violence, and they're all up in arms over there because Dr. Jeste used a small sample with no control. I tried to get them to notice that he admitted it straight up and nobody had to drag his methodology out of the back of his research notes, but they'd already moved on to putting firecrackers in their ears.

---
Fangamer

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by Flamespeak on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 22:38.

It's a good thing the Wii is bring joy to all of these people, because it sure isn't bringing joy to the folks that bought it for a solid gaming library. Not saying it has no good title, but the good to god-awful ratio on that system is ridiculous.

Then again, it appears to be the console of choice if traditional gaming isn't you bag.

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by DarkSaber on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 07:28.

The good to god-awful ratio an ALL the consoles is ridiculous.

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by Flamespeak on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 13:37.

PS3 is pretty solid actually, 360 is about what I expect, the Wii is just amazingly bad.

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 02:34.

Indeed, not to mention it has a control system no console before it has seen, so developers are still toying with it.

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by Vake Xeacons on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 18:22.

Have they tried Dead Space Extraction yet?

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by DarkSaber on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 18:31.

Has anyone?

http://instantrimshot.com/

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by killatia on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 09:51.

I have and the game was a blast to play. Not as good as the original but good in its own right.

http://www.magicinkgaming.com/

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by swatbolish on Mon, 07/26/2010 - 07:21.

But i dont like that.

warts home remedies

I love cafe world cheats.

Re: Playing Wii Sports May Well Help Depressed Geriatrics

Submitted by mdo7 on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 18:13.

What do you know? More Wii-health related news. I have read many Wii and Health news for the last few month. I'm wondering how Natal and Playstation Arc (the new motion controller for the PS3) may contribute health benefit. I like to see what Fox News, Jack Thompson and all those video game basher see what they think of this now.

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DorthLous: Passed 1.5M$. And I'd also say that Brutal Legend is far from being a bad game. I just think it was a few levels under what people expected from the people working on the project.02/11/2012 - 8:25am

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RedMage: Brutal Legend.02/10/2012 - 7:52pm

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james_fudge: I hope you some said something sassy! Where's the link?02/09/2012 - 7:46pm

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