Parkinson’s news: Playing computer games like Minecraft and Tetris 'could lessen effects'

They are looking into the the effects of touch screen “spatial reasoning games“ on the part of the brain used to control movement in people with Parkinson’s disease.

Games like Tetris which require using mental imagery to rearrange shapes to fit a physical space, could help stimulate one of the impaired areas of the brain affected by Parkinson’s and improve motor function.

The study, which involves 16 Parkinson’s sufferers, is being led by experts at Bangor University, working alongside the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the Walton Centre in Liverpool. 

Tetris is a Soviet tile-matching puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov. It was released in 1984 but touch screen versions are now available on tablets.

Dr Charles Leek, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Bangor University’s School of Psychology, said the initial study showed evidence that Parkinson’s patients were able to move faster and initiate movement more easily following a period of “cognitive stimulation” on the computer games.

They have now received a £33,000 in funding for a second study involving 60 people with Parkinson’s, which aims to examine the potential benefits of computer-based intervention in greater detail.

Professor Leek said: “This project was born out of research which used brain imaging techniques to study how different parts of the brain are involved in controlling our movements and other brain functions.

“We found that an area of the brain called the supplementary motor area, or SMA, became very activated when patients were asked to perform certain tasks on a computer.

“The SMA plays a key role in the brain’s spatial reasoning and helps us control our movements, which is where the link with Parkinson’s came in.

“We’re trying to apply some of the understanding we have of how the normal brain works to help improve motor control in people with Parkinson’s.

“By having patients perform simple computer based tasks we hope to be able to effectively stimulate specific parts of the brain affected by the disease.

“These kinds of tests are incredibly simple and involve people making judgements about visual spatial relationships.”

Patients have been asked to perform 20 minutes of simple computer screen tasks and their movements are monitored before and after.

Professor Leek added:”Patients would look at a screen and they would be asked to make decisions such as whether a shape could be rotated to fit into a space , which is where the Tetris analogy comes in.

“If we could show that it has clinical benefits, then it is something which could be done at home on a tablet. It could be quite beneficial.

Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease of the nervous system characterised by muscle rigidity, tremor, poor balance and slow movement.

Claire Bale, Head of Research Communications and Engagement at Parkinson’s UK, said yesterday: “Parkinson’s is a condition that can affect every aspect of a person’s life – gradually taking away control of their body and reducing independence.

“Two hundred years after the condition was first recognised, people with Parkinson’s are still waiting for better treatments, including non-drug therapies, that will give them the greater control they need.

“Many people with Parkinson’s already practise non-drug therapies, such as regular physiotherapy, speech exercises and relaxation techniques, to improve movement, ease stiff muscles and become more flexible.

“These therapies can relieve symptoms that aren’t improved with the use of medication and can be beneficial for physical and emotional wellbeing.

“So far, there is no conclusive evidence that brain stimulating computer programmes can be used as an effective non-drug therapy for people with Parkinson’s.

“But we are keen to see what potential there is by using emerging technologies, such as brain training, to improve symptoms of the condition. We will be very interested in the results of this research.”