A Pilot Usability Study of MINWii, A Music Therapy Game for Demented Patients
By Boulay, Melodie; Benveniste, Samuel; Boespflug, Sandra; Jouvelot, Pierre; Rigaud, Anne-Sophie; Technology and Health Care, Volume 19, Number 4, Pages 233-246Publication Date: January 2011
Article presents the results of a three-month usability study of MINWii conducted with 7 institutionalized patients suffering from mild to moderately severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD). MINWii is a music therapy game for patients with dementia. It lets players improvise or play songs of their choice by pointing at a virtual keyboard with a Wiimote Pistol. The results, which were largely computed automatically thanks to MINWii’s extensive logging capabilities, show either an instant mastery or a clear learning effect depending on patients’ cognitive abilities. Overall, patients were very satisfied with the game and expressed a desire to repeat the experience. MINWii fostered positive interaction with caregivers and elicited powerful reminiscence with even the most severely impaired patients. Results demonstrate that MINWii is indeed usable by patients with AD despite their motor and cognitive impairments
Published by: IOS Press (Website:http://www.iospress.nl)
