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August 19, 2026Open Access

PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR VIRTUAL REALITY EXERGAMING (NINTENDO® WII FIT PLUS™) IN BALANCE AND GAIT REHABILITATION OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY — A Single-Arm Pre-Post Pilot Study

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Authors

GBGhaith BaccariSCSoumaya Chaabene

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Overview

Single-arm pilot study demonstrates improved balance and walking in children with cerebral palsy after virtual reality exergaming, indicating potential rehabilitation benefits.

Key Points

  • To evaluate preliminary evidence regarding the effects of a Nintendo Wii Fit Plus virtual reality exergaming program on balance and walking performance in children with cerebral palsy.
  • Enrolled 8 children with cerebral palsy (mean age 10.875 ± 3.56 years; GMFCS levels I–III) in a single-arm pre-post pilot study in Sfax, Tunisia.
  • Administered a 7-week virtual reality rehabilitation program using Nintendo Wii Fit Plus for at least 30 minutes per session across three sessions per week.
  • Assessed balance using the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS), Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS), and BOT-2, and evaluated gait speed and endurance using the 10MWT and 6MWT.
  • Balance scores improved significantly after the intervention on the PBS (pre: 34.25 ± 12.06 vs. post: 38.50 ± 11.24; p = 0.001; dz = 0.37), TCMS (pre: 37.50 ± 6.59 vs. post: 41.38 ± 6.68; p = 0.007; dz = 0.59), and BOT-2 (pre: 3.38 ± 3.82 vs. post: 6.75 ± 4.53; p = 0.001; dz = 0.81).
  • Walking ability improved significantly on the 6MWT (pre: 254.88 ± 79.59 m vs. post: 275.63 ± 79.31 m; p < 0.001; dz = 4.69) and the 10MWT (pre: 0.82 ± 0.24 m/s vs. post: 0.93 ± 0.25 m/s; p = 0.001; dz = 1.84).

Cite This Study

Baccari et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8563d703308d306e2d73d7https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21979128
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1"Physiotherapy is Boring and Tiring": The Motivational Impact of Nintendo Wii Fit Plus Exergaming in Children with Cerebral Palsy — A Single-Arm Pre-Post Pilot Study2026
  2. 2Effectiveness of Wii-Fit Combined with Conventional Exercises on the Functional Mobility and Balance of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Their Typically Growing Peers2024 · 4 citations
  3. 3Effect of Virtual Reality Therapy on Balance and Walking Speed in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial2025
  4. 4Effects of Wii Fit on Functional Balance and Elbow Flexion in Children with Unilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study2026
  5. 5Effect of Gamified Balance Training Using Virtual Reality on Postural Control in Children with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy; A Randomized Controlled Study2025 · 1 citations