Integration of exergaming in pediatric rehabilitation

Abstract

Theme Abstract The development and generalization of modern technology have totally modied our world and habits. Concerning rehabilitation, the situation is a bit different and the integration of technology seems to be a bit slower than in other elds. The development of video games, and in particular active video games, offers new perspectives and pediatric rehabilitation. In this paper, we present the different technologies currently tested and developed in various rehabilitation contexts ranging from neurological rehabilitation (children with cerebral palsy) to pain management but also diseases such as autism spectrum disorders. Finally, we discuss the current and future challenges related to the integration of exergames in pediatric rehabilitation and propose some solutions to promote the development and implementation of these solutions on a large scale in clinics. Keywords Pediatric rehabilitation; exergames; video games; new technology; motivation Currently, informatics and technology are everywhere, or almost everywhere, in our lives. In the last decade, not only technology has developed drastically but two other elements are also of importance for the development and implementation of innovative solutions, at a large scale, in the healthcare sector: the democratization of the technology and the miniaturization of the devices. The development of new technology offers, therefore, a lot of new opportunities in rehabilitation for both the diagnosis, the assessment, and the treatment. In this paper, we are going to focus on the use and development of exergames in pediatric rehabilitation but the readers should be aware that the use of technology is much broader than this particular set of applications.