CONTRAST: Gamification of Arm-Hand Training for Stroke Survivors

Abstract

This paper describes the design of a serious game that supports arm-hand training for stroke survivors aiming to render rehabilitation training enjoyable and sustainable. The design of this game was based on combining well-known game-design principles and principles of task-oriented training. Most importantly the game involves the manipulation of every day physical objects and the game's difficulty is dynamically adapted to the patient's performance. The game was evaluated in actual training with two stroke patients for a period of a week. Their feedback shows the promise of this approach; the study motivates the further development of game content and further extension of adaptability features.