Article

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of Wii.n.Walk for improving walking capacity
in older adults with lower limb amputation. DESIGN:
A parallel, evaluator-blind
randomized controlled feasibility trial. SETTING: Community-living. PARTICIPANTS:
Individuals who were 50 years old with a unilateral lower limb amputation.
INTERVENTION: Wii.n.Walk consisted of Wii Fit training, 3x/week (40 minute
sessions), for 4 weeks.
Training started in the clinic in groups of 3 and
graduated to unsupervised home training. Control group were trained using
cognitive games. MAIN MEASURES: Feasibility indicators: trial process
(recruitment, retention, participants' perceived benefit from the Wii.n.Walk
intervention measured by exit questionnaire), resources (adherence), management
(participant processing, blinding), and treatment (adverse event, and Cohen's d
effect size and variance). Primary clinical outcome: walking capacity measured
using the 2 Minute Walk Test at baseline, end of treatment, and 3-week retention.
RESULTS: Of 28 randomized participants, 24 completed the trial (12/arm). Median
(range) age was 62.0 (50-78) years. Mean (SD) score for perceived benefit from
the Wii.n.Walk intervention was 38.9/45 (6.8). Adherence was 83.4%. The effect
sizes for the 2 Minute Walk Test were 0.5 (end of treatment) and 0.6 (3-week
retention) based on intention to treat with imputed data; and 0.9 (end of
treatment) and 1.2 (3-week retention) based on per protocol analysis. The required sample size for a future larger RCT was deemed to be 72 (36 per arm).
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested the feasibility of the Wii.n.Walk with a
medium effect size for improving walking capacity.
Future larger randomized
controlled trials investigating efficacy are warranted.

Langue : ANGLAIS