Physicians from the University of California, San Diego believe that “exergames” – video games that combine game play with physical exercise, such as the Nintendo Wii – can improve symptoms of minor depression in seniors. Depression that is not yet classified as “major depression” is very common in seniors and can be associated with substantial suffering, functional disability, and increased use of costly medical services. In an exergames study published in the March 2010 issue of The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, researchers found that “More than one-third of the participants had a 50-percent or greater reduction of depressive symptoms. Many had a significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and increased cognitive stimulation.” Although this study was very small, it demonstrates a potentially cost-effective way of reducing morbidity among senior citizens and, indeed, many nursing homes around the country are already employing exergames in physical therapy. [via iHealth Bulletin]
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.