Rehabilitation of handwriting skills in stroke patients using interactive games: a pilot study

  • Authors:

  • Jennifer Curtis;Loes Ruijs;Maartje de Vries;Robert Winters;Jean-Bernard Martens

  • Affiliations:

  • Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands;Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands;Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands;Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands;Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands

  • Venue:
  • CHI '09 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

This paper describes an interactive application that aims to support the rehabilitation of handwriting skills in people that suffer from paralysis after a stroke. The purpose of the application is to make the rehabilitation of handwriting skills fun and engaging. Four platform-independent games with adjustable levels of difficulty were created in order to target varying levels of skills. The application also features a performance history, audio-visual feedback, and posture reminders. It was evaluated with medical staff and patients from the Hoensbroeck Rehabilitation Centre in the Netherlands. The initial results indicated that the games are more motivating and fun than traditional pen and paper exercises. The feedback received from therapists supports our claim that the games are a useful addition to the rehabilitation of handwriting.