Having access to a video game could help patients improve following a stroke.
The American Stroke Association is set to reveal research that using the Wii™ games console could be a "safe and feasible strategy" to improve their motor function following a stroke.
Lead investigator of the study, Dr Gustavo Sposnik, said: "This is the first randomized clinical study showing that virtual reality using Wii™ gaming technology is feasible and safe and is potentially effective in enhancing motor function following a stroke, but our study results need to be confirmed in a major clinical trial."
The study looked at stroke survivors with an average age of 61 and instructed some of them to spend time on the console's tennis game or a cooking program, both of which involve simulating motion to carry out on-screen action.
Others were given recreational therapy.
After an intensive program, researchers found that the group who had been taking part in the games demonstrated a "significant motor improvement in speed and extent of recovery".
