Utilizing Gaming Mechanics to Optimize Telerehabilitation Adherence in Persons With Stroke

This trial studies the impact of motivational strategies designed by the gaming industry on adherence to a home tele-rehabilitation program designed to improve hand function in persons with stroke. A growing literature suggests that the extended practice of challenging hand tasks can produce measurable changes in hand function in persons with stroke. Current health care delivery systems do not support this volume of directly supervised rehabilitation, making it necessary for patients to perform a substantial amount of activity at home, unsupervised. Unfortunately, adherence to unsupervised home exercise regimens is quite poor in this population. The investigator's goal is to assess the impact of several well-established game design strategies: 1) Scaffolded increases in game difficulty 2) In-game rewards 3) Quests with enhanced narrative. The investigator's will utilize these enhancements to study their impact on motivation to perform a tele-rehabilitation- based home exercise program, adherence to the program and changes in hand function. The proposed study will utilize a system of novel rehabilitation technologies designed to facilitate home exercise performance. Subjects will perform 3 simulated rehabilitation activities supported by a passive exoskeleton, an infrared camera and software that will allow subjects to exercise at home. The investigator's will investigate: 1) Differences in measures of motivation elicited by motivationally enhanced simulations and un-enhanced control versions.2) The impact of motivational enhancements on actual adherence to a tele-rehabilitation program in persons with stroke and 3) The impact of motivational enhancement on improvements in hand function achieved by these subjects. This proposal will address a critical gap in modern rehabilitation - adherence to autonomous rehabilitation programs. Patient participation in unsupervised rehabilitation is one of the assumptions underpinning our health care system. This said, no data collected to date supports that adherence is acceptable. The technology and methodology in this proposal are an important step towards leveraging extensive research and development done by the computer gaming industry into improved rehabilitation practice.