Glossary

A-C D-G H-K L-O P-S T-W

action video game

a video game which requires a combination of physical movements, hand-eye coordination and quick reaction-time

activities of daily living
also referred to as ADL, this is a term used in healthcare to refer to the daily self-care activities of an individual and includes skills such as feeding oneself, bathing, dressing, personal care, work, food preparation and cooking, and leisure activities

ADL
An abbreviation for activities of daily living

ageing
the natural process of growing older and showing the effects of increasing age

assessment
a method of measuring performance, in this context it is the measurement of upper limb function

assisting hand
refers to the non-dominant hand who’s role is to help the dominant hand to perform bimanual tasks/activities

bimanual task/activity
a task or activity which requires the use of both hands, for example fastening buttons or using a knife and fork

bimanual therapy
treatment involving the use of both hands at the same time

cerebral
to do with the brain

cerebral bleed
bleeding in the brain usually due to a burst blood vessel and sometimes referred to as a cerebral haemorrhage

cerebral haemorrhage
bleeding in the brain usually due to a burst blood vessel and often referred to as a cerebral bleed

cerebral hemorrhage
bleeding in the brain usually due to a burst blood vessel and often referred to as a cerebral bleed

cerebral infarction
blockage within a blood vessel that supplies part of the brain

cerebral palsy
an umbrella term encompassing a group of motor conditions caused by damage to the motor control centres of the developing brain which occurs during pregnancy or during childbirth and shortly after birth

chronic
a medical condition of long duration

clinic
a healthcare department specialising in the management and treatment of specific medical conditions

cloud server technology
the use of shared servers allowing resources, software and data to be shared between many computers, on demand, reducing the risk of network failure

commissioners
In the UK NHS commissioners ensure that healthcare services deliver the best standards of care and treatment to meet the needs of the population

console
a specific device for playing video games, examples are Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Wii

coordination
the skilful and effective interaction of movements made by different parts of the body such as hands and eyes, arms and legs

dexterity
the coordination of small muscle movements of the hands, sometimes referred to as fine motor skills,  an example is fastening shoelaces

dexterous
skilful in coordinated movements of the hands

dominant hand
the hand which is more dexterous than the other and is usually the hand used to write with

download
to transfer data or programs from an external source to your computer

embolism
blockage to a blood vessel by something other than a blood clot which obstructs the flow of blood

enable
to make someone able to do something

extremity

part of a limb that is furthest from the torso

facilitate
to make something easier to do

feedback
when information is sent back to you. In the context of Limbs Alive performance is fed back to both the player and their therapist

fine motor skills
the coordination of small muscle movements of the hands, sometimes referred to as dexterity, an example is fastening buttons

hemiparesis
weakness on one side of the body, and less severe than hemiplegia

hemiplegia
a varying degree of weakness and lack of control on one side of the body only, affecting the arm, leg, and trunk. It is more severe than hemiparesis. The degree of impairment can be very variable.

hemiplegic cerebral palsy
weakness on one side of the body arising from damage to the motor control centres of the developing brain either during pregnancy, childbirth or shortly after birth

home-based
activities which are carried out within the home

impairment
something that contributes to a functional problem for a patient such as weakness or difficulty moving the arm and hand

inclusive
something which people are included in, especially an activity

independence
in this context, to be able to look after oneself without much need for help from others

innovation
the creation of something new

intensive
doing something often, in this context that something is therapy

interactive
when one thing effects another thing, in this context it is the player who makes things happen within the games by controlling them

intervention
a term meaning treatment or therapy

leisure
time spent doing something you enjoy doing when not engaged in work or domestic activities

limb/s
arm/s and leg/s

lower limb
an alternative name for the leg and foot

Microsoft Kinect
sold for use with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 – no controller, just a sensor bar to detect where your body is. You control games by moving your arms and legs

Microsoft Xbox 360
a games console with built-in Wi-Fi and where games are controlled by either a black wireless controller (for dual hand control) or by Microsoft Kinect

motion controller
a hand-held controller which can detect movement and from which information on it’s position is fed back to the console or computer

motivating
something which makes us want to achieve a goal/s

motivation
the driving force which causes us to achieve goals

muscle tone
the normal state of balanced tension within a muscle. The degree of tone can be altered following stroke and can either increase or decrease

NHS
National Health Service (UK)

Nintendo Wii
a games console with internet connection and where games are controlled by either one main controller or by connecting a second controller (called a Nunchuk) to the main controller for two handed play
 

nondominant
refers to the  hand who’s role is to help the dominant hand to perform bimanual tasks/activities, sometimes referred to as the assisting hand

occupational therapist
sometimes referred to as an OT, a trained health professional whose role is to work with a client to help them achieve a good quality of life through the use of purposeful activity designed to promote health, prevent injury or disability and which develop, improve, sustain or restore the highest possible level of independence

onset
when something begins

paediatric
the care and medical treatment of children

paretic
a degree of paralysis

participation
taking part in something

pediatric
the care and medical treatment of children

physiotherapist
physiotherapists work with patients to identify and improve their movement and function and help promote their patients’ health and wellbeing, and assist the rehabilitation process by developing and restoring the affected body system

QoL
an abbreviation for Quality of Life

quality of life
a term used to evaluate the general well-being of people which encompasses wealth, employment, environment, physical and mental health, education, leisure, and social inclusion

range of movement
the amount an individual joint moves; the effects of stroke can reduce range of movement at some joints

reablement
relearning the skills necessary for daily living following illness, usually with guidance and support from health professionals, so that there is an improvement in function and increased independence

rehabilitation
treatment, usually provided by health professionals, to patients which helps to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and function with the aim of promoting maximum independence and/or quality of life

server computer
a computer, or series of computers, that link other computers or electronic devices together; they often provide essential services across a network, often via the internet

Sony PlayStation 3
a games console with built-in Wi-Fi and where games are controlled by either a black wireless controller (for dual hand control) or by the PlayStation move where games are controlled by one or two separate hand-held wireless controllers (Sony PlayStation Move)

Sony PlayStation Eye
a digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 3 which uses computer vision and gesture recognition to process images allowing players to interact with games using motion and color detection as well as sound through its built-in microphone

Sony PlayStation Move
hand-held motion controllers which are used in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye camera which tracks their position

spasticity
a state of increased tone of a muscle, often felt as tightness, which can restrict range of movement at a joint

stroke
loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain due to either a blockage of a blood vessel within the brain (thrombosis or embolism), or a burst blood vessel within the brain (hemorrhage)

targeted
focusing on the completion of a specific activity

telerehabilitation
the delivery of rehabilitation services over telecommunication networks and the internet

therapy
is treatment given to improve a health problem

thrombosis
the formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel which obstructs the flow of blood

unimanual
a one handed activity such as drinking from a writing

upload
to transfer data or programs from your computer to an external source

upper limb
an alternative name for the arm and hand

video game
a game played against a computer/console or between people using a computer/console

video game controller/s
a specific device or devices which operate video games through a console and TV screen or through a computer

virtual reality
sometimes referred to as VR, virtual reality is computer-simulated environments; the environments can be closely related to the real world or form more imaginary environments

wiihabilitation
a term, adopted by some, to refer to the use of the Nintendo Wii system in therapy and rehabilitation