Individualized virtual training game for older adults with one or more of the following conditions: mobility impairment, cognitive impairment and/or urinary incontinence

Investigator: Chantale Dumoulin, PhD

Collaborators: Dividat (Switzerland), Fraunhofer Portugal Reasearch (Portugal), ETH Zurich (Switzerland), Polytechnique Montréal (Canada), ProCare (The Netherlands), Protestant Christian Elderly Oragnization (The Netherlands) and Physio Spartos (Switzerland).

Funding organization: European Union’s Active Assisted Living Program, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Project and objectives: Our research team has developed a virtual training game system targeting older adults to improve balance, cognitive function and leg and pelvic floor muscle strength. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ease of use and user-friendliness of the game.

Who may participate in this research? 

  • Women age 60 and over 

  • Experience urinary incontinence at least three times per week for at least 3 months

  • Interested in trying a virtual training game and documenting your experience*.

*Other admission criteria may apply.

Published articles:

Guimarães V, Oliveira E, Carvalho A, Cardoso N, Emerich J, Dumoulin C, Swinnen N, De Jong J, de Bruin ED. (2021) An Exergame Solution for Personalized Multicomponent Training in Older Adults. Applied Sciences. August 29; 11(17):7986. doi:10.3390/app11177986

Swinnen N, de Bruin E. Dumoulin C, Thalmann M, Guimarães V, de Jong J, Vandenbulcke M, Vancampfort D. (2021). The Vitaal stepping exergaming prototype for older adults with major neurocognitive disorder: a usability study. Front Aging Neuroscience. November 4; 13:701319. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2021.701319

Thalmann M, Ringli L, Adcock M, Swinnen N, de Jong J, Dumoulin C, Guimarães V, D. de Bruin E. (2021)  Usability Study of a Multicomponent Exergame Training for Older Adults with Mobility Limitations. International journal of environmental research and public health. December 20; 18(24), 13422. doi:10.3390/ijerph182413422

Swinnen N, de Bruin ED, Guimarães V, Dumoulin C, et al. (2023) The feasibility of a stepping exergame prototype for older adults with major neurocognitive disorder residing in a long-term care facility: a mixed methods pilot study. Disability and Rehabilitation. February 23;1-15. doi:10.1080/09638288.2023.2182916

Published abstracts:

De Jong J, El-Sayegh B, Mastebroek A, Dokter M, Guimaraes V, Swinnen N, Thalmann M, De Bruin E, Sawan M, Dumoulin C. (2021) Usability of a newly designed exergame and connected sensors for the treatment of women’s geriatric incontinence. Abstract presentation, 51st Annual Meeting of the International Continence Society, online, 12-15 October 2021. https://www.ics.org/2021/abstract/240

Mont-Briant S, Guimarães V, de Bruin E, de Jong J, Swinnen N, Thalmann M, Dumoulin C. (2023) An exergame combining strength, balance and cognitive training with pelvic floor muscle exercises to treat older women with urgency urinary incontinence: a pre-post study. Abstract presentation, 53rd Annual Meeting of the International Continence Society, Toronto, Canada, 28 September 2023. Prize: Best of E-Health. Continence, 2023;7 (suppl 1) :100945. doi:10.1016/j.cont.2023.100945 https://www.ics.org/2023/abstract/227