The Wii’s championing of a healthy, active lifestyle with titles like Wii Fit may enhance the treatment for Parkinson’s disease, according to a researcher of the Medical College of Georgia. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease of the brain which affects a person’s motor skills, speech and other basic functions.

Twenty Parkinsons patients were chosen to participate in an eight-week pilot study in which they played Wii three days a week for four weeks. Wii Sports was the title used to determine the outcome of the test, and each patient played two games of Wii Tennis and Bowling and one game of Boxing. These games were chosen because they involve exercise, bilateral movement, balance, and a fast pace.

Dr. Ben Herz, Program Director and Assistant Professor at the School of Allied Health Sciences’ Department of Occupational Therapy, says that “The Wii allows patients to work in a virtual environment that's safe, fun and motivational." He also adds that "the games require visual perception, eye-hand coordination, figure-ground relationships and sequenced movement, so it's a huge treatment tool from an occupational therapy perspective."

Dr. Herz commented that "By the middle of the study, we actually had a number of people who could [defeat] their opponent out in the first round, which amazed us." These preliminary findings were presented at the fifth Annual Games for Health Conference in Boston on June 11.

Participants who took part in this test also saw improvements in movement, fine motor skills, energy levels, rigidity and movement. But most importantly the patients’ depression levels went down to zero once they started treatment. It is estimated that up to 45 percent of Parkinsons patients suffer from depression.

This wouldn’t be the first time that the Wii has been involved in physical health therapy. The system has been used at various nursing homes to get their senior citizens to add more movement and exercise into their daily activities. According to Dr. Herz, it won’t be the last time either. He called video game consoles “the future of rehab”, adding that about 60 percent of the study participants bought a Wii for themselves after taking part in the program.