UNMC's Munroe-Meyer Institute uses virtual reality video games to help patients
A program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute turns to technology in video games to help children with cerebral palsy and other conditions.
Virtual reality is used as part of a two-week camp — doctors call it therapy in the form of play.
Headsets on, controllers in hand campers at the Habit Camp enter the realm of virtual reality video games, but these games serve a specific purpose.
"It's just designed with our occupational and physical therapists to target those movements that they need to practice," Dr. Jamie Gehringer said.
Habit Camp offers kids with cerebral palsy and other conditions a place to work on bimanual therapy in the form of play.
"Even though everything here is based on play, it's still hard work for them. And so we would start to see some engagement drop off throughout the time of the camp," Gehringer said.
Recognizing this, Gehringer and lab technician Ryan Thomas worked with the physical and occupational therapy teams at Munroe-Meyer to develop a new type of therapy for the camp — virtual reality games.
"They basically play like like any other video game," Gehringer said.
Matched one-to-one with an occupational or physical therapist, campers work through 11 different games, each one forcing them to use both hands and arms.
"We're trying to see you know, after they go through this camp, does that change how they their ability to use their arms and hands?" Gehringer said.
The games proving to be hard work, yet fun for the campers.
Heidi Reagan said since coming to camp, her son Connor's demeanor has completely changed.
"He's really enjoying it and he's been happy he comes home he tells his sister every day about everything he's gotta do," Reagan said.
Connor has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, with his right side paralyzed. Because of this, he knows the battle traditional physical therapy can be.
"He'll tell you the first thing when he has to go to PT it's pain and torture. He's been in it a long time," Reagan said.
But now...
"I feel like I'm actually in a dream, like, I'm like in a dream where I wake up every morning and I'm like 'time for video games,'" Connor said.
And Reagan said it's giving him motivation to use his paralyzed hand.
The first of its kind: The virtual reality games at Habit Camp act as a form of therapy and encouragement for kids like Connor.