Assessing muscle disease related to aging using ambient videogames

Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of skeletal muscle mass that occurs with aging, and is recognized as a major contributing factor to disability and loss of independence in the elderly. Recent evidence shows that age-related loss of muscle strength and power (dynapenia), as well as muscle fatigue are a better predictor of disability. In this paper we describe three ambient casual games that have been designed to measure arm muscle strength and fatigue utilizing a custom-designed interaction device that provides a natural user interface for the games. The games are designed to be used frequently and for short periods of time. We conducted a formative evaluation of the games with 5 older adults to assess ease of use and their interest in playing them. We compare the results of traditional measures of muscle strength using a clinical dynamometer with those obtained using the videogame. The higher frequency with which measures can be obtained from playing the videogame can result in a more reliable and timely assessment of risks of dynapenia and frailty.