Serious Games For Dementia Illness Detection and Motivation, The eMotiva Experience

Jos Luis Bayo Montn jobamon@itaca.upv.es

ndex
Introduction Objectives Materials and Methods Results Conclusion

Introduction
The aging population is a reality today. The increase in elderly generates a greater number of age-related diseases. Dementia is one of these diseases.
o About 5.752.754 cases in Europe. o 824.000 new cases per year.

Introduction
In Spain dementia affects 550.000 cases.
o 1,24% of the population

Spain is the fifth in number of cases in Europe.

Introduction
Dementia produces cognitive deterioration. Plasticity of the nervous system:
o Ability to create or modify neuronal connections to compensate for losses.

A proper stimulation can promote the plasticity and delayed cognitive deterioration. Exercises in attention, orientation, memory, money management, calculation, reasoning and social adjustment.

Introduction
eMotiva Personal motivation to people with dementia by detecting behaviour patterns. Financed by:

Partners
Experts in the scope of the project: Scientific society of doctors who carry out their professional work in nursing homes.

Technology companies:

Company dedicated to the implementation and development of new technologies in the health care sector both nationally and internationally.
Company specialized in decision systems, information systems and business intelligence.

Partners
Research entities TSB and IBIME belonging to Joint Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering (UICIB)

Health and Wellbeing Technologies is the R&D&i area of the ITACA Institute, dedicated to the application of ICT to the fields of public health, quality of life and social services. Biomedical Informatics Group is the R&D&i area of the ITACA Institute, focus on investigation and application development in medical imaging, biomedical mining and information engineering.

Objectives
Project aims to create a system for monitoring and motivation of people with dementia in institutional residences.
o Tool to detect patterns of behaviour associated with conduct disorder. o Therapeutic tool that use personalised motivation actions, in response to behaviour disorders and for reduce cognitive deterioration.

Objectives
Personalised motivation actions.
o We adopt the paradigm of serious games. o The action consists in the realization of an ordered sequence in time of serious games. o These games focuses on therapeutic aspects of:
Cognitive stimulation. Physical stimulation and relaxation.

Materials and Methods

Requirements capture:
o Interviews with experts.
Asociacin de Familiares de Alzheimer (AFA) Residencia Boni Mediero. Centro Residencial San Sebastian.

o Main conclusions of the interviews.

The use of simple equipment, easy to use. Incorporate in the games:
Visual and auditory stimuli. Strengthen memory and daily life activities. Configure the game to the capabilities of each patient. Fun is the motivation engine.

Materials and Methods

All-in-one PC: Wiimote Remote Controler:
o Natural interaction through a Touch screen o Compact and nice design to reduce psychological barriers. o Games with physical interaction. o Detects acceleration in three axes. o Low cost and extensively tested. o Specific set of tool to develop games. o High graphics capabilities and performance. o o o o Non specific for games. Large infrastructure. Good graphics capabilities with animation, video and audio capabilities. Shorter development time than specific platforms.

XNA for immersive games:

WPF for non-immersive games:

Results
Rowing:
o Realistic graphical model to create an immersive environment. o The interaction is based on move a Wiimote taken as an oar, in circular movements like rowing action. o Patient can move around the stage following a predefined path. o The 3D paradisiacal environment prometes relaxation. o Rowing action stimulates physical activity.

Results
Follow the sequence:
o Some tiles are shown at the board, in line or in random position, to change the difficulty. o Tiles has an order sequence that can be numerical or by size. o Patient has to click tiles in proper sequence to achieve the goal. o The interaction is through a touch screen. o Cognitive stimulation of attention and logic.

Results
Dress the doll:
o The patient see at the screen a figure and different clothing. o The interaction is through a movement of drag and drop. o The player has to put clothing into correct place. Depends on difficulty:
The figure can be a male or female. The number of clothing pieces can vary.

The goal can be:

Dressing correctly the figure. Dressing the figure chosen garments in the same colour. Chosen garments with the same colour, to dressing the figure. Chosen a specific colour garments fixed by the game, to dressing the figure.

o Stimulates attention and activities of daily living.

Results
Link sounds with elements:
o In this game the patient has to listen to a sound and select the related item, choosing between the different displayed on the screen. o If the correct item is selected the player can hear the next sound. o When all the sounds are solved, the game ends and congratulates the patient. o Stimulates concentration, attention and evokes feelings.

Results
Grouping objects:
o When game starts show different forms distributed randomly across the screen. o The patient has to find a criterion to form two groups. o The have to use drag and drop movements to form a group on each side of screen. o The criteria may be the shape or colour of the elements. o The number of items and colours varies to generate different levels of difficulty. o This game stimulates the capacity of attention, concentration an logic.

Conclusions
We developed a set of serious games to use as a therapeutic tool. The game tries to apply the guidelines to promote brain plasticity. An initial presentation to the medical staff, they conclude that:
o Games meets the requirements.

Conclusions
Future lines of work:
o Continue with project milestones:
Install the system To carry out a randomized controlled study to test the concept.
Subjects with Alzheimer-type dementia, in its later stages. 10 weeks of duration. 30 play sessions.

Thanks for your attention

Serious Games For Dementia Illness Detection and Motivation, The eMotiva Experience

Jos Luis Bayo Montn jobamon@itaca.upv.es