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Bootle Blast, a movement tracking video game for home-based motor therapy: Understanding the family experience.


Summary

Bootle Blast is a movement tracking video game that makes therapy exercises fun & is customizable for various abilities and therapy goals. In this study, we want to find out if Bootle Blast is an easy-to-use, fun and beneficial activity to practice movement and hand-arm skills development at home.


Call to action

Do you wish there was an easy-to-use, fun, and beneficial activity that might strengthen movement and hand-arm skills? Participate in the evaluation of Bootle Blast that is a video game to play at home.


Who can participate

We are looking for kids who:

  • Are between 6 and 17 years of age
  • Have any motor condition that could be addressed by the Bootle Blast system, regardless of their diagnosis, and are interested in improving these skills
  • Live in Canada
  • Have a caregiver willing to participate
  • No history of uncontrolled epilepsy triggered by screen activities
  • Have sufficient vision and hearing to engage in video game play on a TV 
  • Can answer questions in English about preferences
  • Able to learn and play simple video games
  • Have space in their homes to play Bootle Blast (open area in front of a TV or computer monitor that is about 1.5m x 2.2m or 5 ft x 7 ft in size)
  • Have a device to record and upload short videos, shared only with researchers at Holland Bloorview
  • Intermittent internet access for video calls and data transfers
  • Have not previously participated in a Bootle Blast study

Funding agency

Tri-council funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research


What's involved

This study takes place entirely at home. It has 4 parts:

Part 1 (10 – 21 days) “Getting to know you”: Video call with a researcher - set a goal for an everyday, challenging activity that you would like to get better at (e.g. tying shoelaces, pulling up socks) and record weekly videos of yourself doing the challenging activity. Time: 1 hour to fill in questionnaires + 1 hour video call with researcher + 10 min/week to record/send activity videos

Part 2 (8 weeks) “Bootle Blast play”: Set up Bootle Blast in your home, create a play time goal, and play! Time: 1 hour video call for set-up + Bootle Blast play time (set by you) + 10 min/week to record activity videos + 1 hour for questionnaires.

Part 3 (3 weeks) “Follow-up”: Fill out some activity questionnaires. Share your likes and dislikes about Bootle Blast with a researcher. Keep recording and sending your weekly activity video. Time: 1 hour interview + 1 hour of questionnaires + 10 min/week to record activity videos.

Part 4 (3 weeks) “Free Play”: Play Bootle Blast as much or as little as you like!


Deadline


Interested in participating

If you are interested in participating in this study or have additional questions, please contact the research assistant, Selvi Sert, at pearl@hollandbloorview.ca/416-425-6220 extension 3109. Please expect a reply from Selvi or a member of the research team within 2 business days. Contacting us does not obligate you or your child to participate in the study.


Additional information

Version 7 (18/04/2023) REB# 0110

Bootle Blast, a movement tracking video game for home-based motor therapy: Understanding the family experience.


Learn more about this study