New Video Games Trialled for Cerebral Palsy
Thursday, 02 February 2012 11:39
Flinders University researchers are seeking children with cerebral palsy (CP) to take part in a ground-breaking new trial which may see hand function improved by playing special video games.
In South Australia, about 465 children are living with CP - an impairment of motor function or disability caused by a lesion or a mini-stoke in the brain in utero or in the first two years of their lives. Across Australia more than 34,000 children and adults are affected by the condition, which can have varying degrees of severity.
Lead researcher David Hobbs from the School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics said their research is focussing on improving the sensory pathways, particularly to the hands, which are interrupted by CP.
"Many children with CP have a sensory deficit in their hands, which means they find it difficult to interact with the world around them such as gripping objects using the right pressure," David said.
"Because the brain can change and adapt, we hope to be able to change the way children with CP sense through their hands."
David's team have developed a number of specialised computer games suitable for children with CP which send vibrations through a specially developed controller.
"Most games and gaming controllers are too complex for children with CP to play and use," David said. "Our games are custom made and the controller, developed in conjunction with UniSA, is less complex - which means children with CP can use it."
The team hope the children's brains will learn to take notice of the vibrations on the controller and therefore improve the overall sensitivity of the hands.
"Because the children are concentrating very hard on the game we hope their brains will be more responsive to the stimulus on their hands and will learn to recognise the vibrations."
The games have been trialled by 12-year old Emily Musitano, who has CP, to ensure they were interesting for children to play. Mum Rosemary Musitano said Emily "thoroughly enjoyed them".
The Flinders research team hope to now test the effect the games have on the sensory perception of children with CP in a large trial.
They are looking to recruit 100 suitable children to be assessed throughout 2012, with a view to conducting the in-home trial with the specialised computer games in 2013.
Parents of children with CP who are interested in participating in the trial can contact David directly on 8201 3167 or via email.
Smiling for Smiddy supports new Scholarship at FMC
Wednesday, 25 January 2012 10:57
A new PhD scholarship in a groundbreaking field of cancer prevention research has just been awarded to Flinders University student Cameron Dougherty thanks to funds raised by Queensland group Smiling for Smiddy.
Organisers chose the Flinders Medical Centre Foundation as a recipient of a $25,000 grant in 2009/10 to purchase a highly sensitive Rotor-Gene to help two different research groups find revolutionary new means of treating and preventing prostate cancer.
One of these groups is led by Professor Pam Sykes, whose world-leading research is examining whether low doses of radiation, such as those you might get from an x-ray or from air travel, can help prevent cancer by activating defences within normal cells which can help to kill cancer cells and protect against further radiation exposure.
The group believe low doses of radiation could be used to kill pretumour cells and prevent cancer forming and could be particularly effective against prostate cancer.
“We are also using the new Rotor-Gene to explore whether low doses of radiation can make chromosomes more stable and therefore less likely to become cancerous,” Professor Sykes said.
A new pledge from Smiling for Smiddy for $90,000 has funded a new PhD scholarship over three years which is allowing student Cameron Dougherty to continue and expand groundbreaking investigations into this exciting field of research.
“We hope to better determine the biological effects of these low doses of radiation, and the mechanism in which they induce protection from mutation and cancer,” Professor Sykes said.
“We are truly grateful for all the support which Smiling for Smiddy have provided for our work to date.”
Established in 2006 to commemorate the life of physiotherapist and keen cyclist Adam Smiddy, who passed away aged 26 to an aggressive cancer, the annual 1600km cycling event from Brisbane to Townsville has raised more than $1.9million for cancer services and research to date.
Fifty riders set off on the 5th annual Smiling for Smiddy ride on 3rd September 2011.
