Computer Games May Help Adults with Walking

Computer games could help elderly adults walk with improved balance, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that participants who attempted specialized brain training were able to walk more comfortably compared to their peers who didn't. Renae L. Smith, lead author of the study at the Center for Research on Health and Aging at the University of Illinois, said: "Participants in this study were on average 83 years old. Because we know that degradation occurs with aging, in older participants we often consider interventions successful when they prevent or slow future decline."

Participants involved in the study played games that were designed to "train visual and spatial memory and quick decision making." They were randomly split into two groups of 51 men and women aged 70 and older. People from the first group were asked to engage in brain-stimulating games for ten weeks. They were closely monitored by the researchers involved in the study. After engaging in the various games, the participants were able to stand up from being seated and were able to also walk faster compared to individuals who were placed in a comparison group.

Those participants who belonged in the first group played "Road Tour", "Jewel Diver" and "Sweep Seeker". "Walking is a relatively automated task for younger adults but becomes less automated for older adults," said Smith. "For instance, when walking down a busy street visuospatial processing is required to identify cracks or tripping hazards in the sidewalk, inhibition is required to tune out the distraction of children running and throwing a ball down the block and attention is required while watching traffic and responding to signals."

The results of the study published in the journal of Gerontology confirmed that researchers can't say whether or not the improvement provided by playing computer games may be beneficial to the participants' daily lives.