March 18th, 2009
FootGaming Meets Wounded Warriors Program
East Carolina University - Greenville, NC - Under the creative leadership of Carmen V. Russoniello, about once a week a handful of Marines travel from Camp Lejeune's Wounded Warrior Barracks to a lab at East Carolina University. There they are strapped with sensors that measure stress via perspiration, body temperature and heart and brain rhythms. They are taught methods of controlling anxiety, such as breathing techniques or thinking of pleasant topics. Included in the activities is the addition of select casual games from PopCap (www.popcap.com). We recently spent the day with Dr. Russoniello and some of his program participants to add one additional tool to the interventions - FootGaming!
Dr. Russoniello
served with the Marines in Vietnam and said that for years
afterward, he struggled to cope with the things he had seen and
done. He wanted the nation's latest generation of combat
veterans to have it better. You won't find a more dedicated
leader and his connection with the veterans is exceptional.
Many will need help: This spring, the Pentagon released data showing that more than 40,000 troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan had been diagnosed with PTSD, and military leaders say that more have gone undiagnosed. Thousands more have traumatic brain injuries, typically from the blast of the improvised bombs used so often by insurgents in Iraq. Russoniello's lab is working with the Marines assigned to Camp Lejeune's Wounded Warrior Barracks while they recover. Many in the barracks have PTSD, brain injuries or both. They may have physical problems, and the recreational therapy in the program helps them improve such things as balance and coordination. Not only that, the program is fun with lots of camaraderie and smiles.
We were pleased at the response of the participants. They eagerly hopped from side to side during sessions of AstroPop, stepped on letters to form words that allowed PopCap's "Bookworm" to vanquish enemies and chilled out with Bejeweled and Peggle. All the while, the FootPOWR peripheral was logging their steps. This sort of low-end aerobics and balance practice should prove valuable for many of the veterans. Even more, the stress reduction, mood enhancement and alleviation of depression afforded by the games can make a quality of life difference.
We hope you take
the time to look over the research already completed by Dr.
Russoniello. We hope to have some data on footgaming in the
near future.
