Mahjong playing and eye-hand coordination in older adults-a cross-sectional study.

[Purpose] Eye-hand coordination declines with age, but physical activity is known to slow down the degeneration. Playing mahjong involves lots of eye-hand coordination. The objective was to investigate the relationship between playing mahjong and eye-hand coordination in older adults using a fast finger-pointing paradigm. [Subjects and Methods] Forty-one community dwelling older adults aged sixty or above were recruited by convenience sampling in this cross-sectional study. They were tested on their ability to point quickly and accurately 1) toward a stationary visual target and 2) toward a moving visual target. [Results] The mahjong players demonstrated significantly better end-point accuracy when pointing with their non-dominant hand toward a stationary target. They also demonstrated significantly faster movement of their dominant hands; shorter reaction times and better end-point accuracy when pointing with their non-dominant hands toward a moving target. [Conclusion] Mahjong players have better eye-hand coordination than non-players. Playing mahjong could usefully be introduced to older adults as a leisure time activity.

Effectiveness of Exergaming Training in Reducing Risk and Incidence of Falls in Frail Older Adults With a History of Falls.

OBJECTIVE: To use Nintendo's Wii Fit balance board to determine the effectiveness of exergaming training in reducing risk and incidence of falls in older adults with a history of falls. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Nursing home for older adults. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged 65 years and older (N=60). INTERVENTIONS: Participants who lived in a nursing home had 6 weeks of balance training with either Wii Fit equipment or conventional exercise. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physiological Profile Assessment scores and incidence of falls were observed with subsequent intention-to-treat statistical analyses. RESULTS: Physiological Profile Assessment scores and incidence of falls improved significantly in both groups after the intervention (all P<.01), but participants in the Wii Fit training group showed a significantly greater improvement in both outcome measures (P=.004 and P<.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In institutionalized older adults with a history of falls, Wii Fit balance training was more effective than conventional balance training in reducing the risk and incidence of falls.

Sitting tai chi improves the balance control and muscle strength of community-dwelling persons with spinal cord injuries: a pilot study.

Objective. To investigate the effects of sitting Tai Chi on muscle strength, balance control, and quality of life (QOL) among survivors with spinal cord injuries (SCI). Methods. Eleven SCI survivors participated in the sitting Tai Chi training (90 minutes/session, 2 times/week for 12 weeks) and eight SCI survivors acted as controls. Dynamic sitting balance was evaluated using limits of stability test and a sequential weight shifting test in sitting. Handgrip strength was also tested using a hand-held dynamometer. QOL was measured using the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Scale. Results. Tai Chi practitioners achieved significant improvements in their reaction time (P = 0.042); maximum excursion (P = 0.016); and directional control (P = 0.025) in the limits of stability test after training. In the sequential weight shifting test, they significantly improved their total time to sequentially hit the 12 targets (P = 0.035). Significant improvement in handgrip strength was also found among the Tai Chi practitioners (P = 0.049). However, no significant within and between-group differences were found in the QOL outcomes (P > 0.05). Conclusions. Twelve weeks of sitting Tai Chi training could improve the dynamic sitting balance and handgrip strength, but not QOL, of the SCI survivors.

Reliability of dynamic sitting balance tests and their correlations with functional mobility for wheelchair users with chronic spinal cord injury.

The purpose of this study is to develop a reliable and valid tool for measuring the dynamic sitting balance of wheelchair users with spinal cord injury. The balance tests were performed in nine patients with chronic spinal cord injury (average of 17.2 years postinjury) between levels C6 and L1, while they were sitting in their wheelchairs and on a standardized stool (unsupported sitting), twice, 7 days apart. Limits of stability (LOS) and sequential weight shifting (SWS) were designed in this study. The balance tests measured participants' volitional weight shifting in multiple directions within their base of support. Their mobility scores on the Spinal Cord Independence Measure III were correlated with the balance test results. The LOS results showed moderate to excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.673 to 0.990) for both the wheelchair and the unsupported sitting. The SWS results showed moderate to excellent reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.688 to 0.952). The LOS results correlated significantly with the Spinal Cord Independence Measure III mobility scores only in case of unsupported sitting, but the SWS test results showed significant correlations in both sitting conditions. To sum up, the sitting LOS and SWS tests are reliable and valid tools for assessing the dynamic sitting balance control of patients with spinal cord injury.

Golfers have better balance control and confidence than healthy controls.

In a well-executed golf swing, golfers must maintain good balance and precise control of posture. Golfing also requires prolonged walking over uneven ground such as a hilly course. Therefore, repeated golf practice may enhance balance control and confidence in the golfers. The objective is to investigate whether older golfers had better balance control and confidence than non-golfing older, healthy adults. This is a cross-sectional study, conducted at a University-based rehabilitation center. Eleven golfers and 12 control subjects (all male; mean age: 66.2 ± 6.8 and 71.3 ± 6.6 years, respectively) were recruited. Two balance control tests were administered: (1) functional reach test which measured subjects' maximum forward distance in standing; (2) sensory organization test (SOT) which examined subjects' abilities to use somatosensory, visual, and vestibular inputs to control body sway during stance. The modified Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) determined subject's balance confidence in daily activities. The golfers were found to achieve significantly longer distance in the functional reach test than controls. They manifested significantly better balance than controls in the visual ratio and vestibular ratio, but not the somatosensory ratio of the SOT. The golfers also reported significantly higher balance confidence score ratios. Furthermore, older adults' modified ABC score ratios showed positive correlations with functional reach, visual and vestibular ratios, but not with somatosensory ratio. Golfing is an activity which may enhance both the physical and psychological aspects of balance control. Significant correlations between these measures reveal the importance of the balance control under reduced or conflicting sensory conditions in older adults' balance confidence in their daily activities. Since cause-and-effect could not be established in the present cross-sectional study, further prospective intervention design is warranted.

Eye-hand coordination and its relationship with sensori-motor impairments in stroke survivors.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate eye-hand coordination in stroke survivors and its relationship with sensori-motor impairments and hand functioning in daily life. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: Fifteen subjects with stroke (mean age 62.5 years (standard deviation (SD) 7.1); time post-stroke 5.2 years (SD 3.0)) recruited by convenience sampling. METHODS: A fast finger-pointing task towards a moving visual target was employed to investigate the differences between the subjects' affected and unaffected hands in terms of reaction time, movement time and accuracy. Their sensori-motor impairments in tactile sensation, handgrip strength, Fugl-Meyer scores and Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test scores were measured. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the affected and unaffected hands in terms of movement time and accuracy in finger pointing. Movement time was significantly correlated with tactile sensitivity, handgrip strength and total Fugl-Meyer score, while accuracy correlated with tactile sensitivity and total Fugl-Meyer score. Total scores on the hand function test also correlated significantly with reaction time and movement time. CONCLUSION: The stroke survivors had poorer eye-hand coordination, in terms of slower movement and reduced accuracy when using their affected hand. These performance measures were significantly correlated with several sensori-motor impairments. A significant correlation was also found between eye-hand coordination performance and hand function test scores.