PIXFORMANCE IS A PARTNER OF THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH PROJECT FORTEE
Fighting childhood cancer with digital movement therapy
Under the leadership of the University Medical Center Mainz, Pixformance has joined forces with 15 other partner institutions from eight countries as part of the European collaborative research project FORTEe, including Oxford Brookes University from England. The goal is to develop personalized sports therapies and innovative medical and health technologies in pediatric oncology.
Under the motto “Get strong to fight childhood cancer,” Pixformance supports the sustainable improvement of the physical and mental health of affected children and adolescents with its digital training concept.
Digital training as an opportunity
Common side effects of cancer treatment in children include physical inactivity, disease-related fatigue, and a reduced health-related quality of life. The FORTEe project aims to investigate the positive effects of a personalized training intervention on the course of childhood cancer through a Europe-wide randomized controlled study.
Valerie Bures-Bönström,
CEO Pixformance
“As a partner of this incredible project, we are very proud to support such an important topic as childhood cancer treatment with our digital therapy concept and fully embrace the project’s slogan: Let’s get strong to fight childhood cancer!“
An Important Step for Childhood Cancer Research
For adults with cancer, there are numerous large studies and evidence showing that physical activity and sports during therapy have positive effects on patients. The resulting improvement in quality of life has also been proven. However, this has only been demonstrated in adults so far – as there are currently no large randomized studies confirming these positive effects in children with cancer.
© Cyrus Mower @cyrusoxford (Fotograf), und OBU
Dr. med. Marie A. Neu, Coördinator of the Pediatric Cancer Center Mainz, Scientific Coördinator of FORTEe, Deputy Study Director
“In pediatric and adolescent medicine, it is often more challenging to provide scientific evidence for the effectiveness of new therapies. In adults, this process is usually much faster. This is primarily because cancer in children and adolescents is very rare. In Germany, around 2,200 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year. Due to these low case numbers, it takes much longer for clinical studies to generate new findings that can directly benefit those affected.”
With Digital Movement Therapy for Improved Quality of Life
“Our hypothesis is that patients who receive this tailored movement therapy will benefit from it, and that cancer-related fatigue, also known as fatigue syndrome, will be alleviated or reduced. We also want to demonstrate that sports can help improve the quality of life for children with cancer. (…)”. Dr. Neu continues: The focus of the project is the development and integration of digital technologies into oncological treatment. Using applications based on virtual and augmented reality, as well as a specially developed medical app, a family-centered telemedical care system is to be established for children and adolescents affected by cancer.
© Cyrus Mower @cyrusoxford (Fotograf), und OBU
More Fun with Movement Through Real-Time Digital Correction
At five clinical sites of the EU research project, training with Pixformance stations is an integral part of sports and movement therapy. The training plans are individually tailored to the needs of each patient. During Pixformance training, children receive real-time feedback at the station in the form of motivating emojis or correction hints. Whether, when, and how often they train with Pixformance depends on their illness and treatment progress.
“At the beginning of chemotherapy, children may not always be able to leave their rooms. Once they are fit enough to access the exercise room, it is up to movement specialists to determine how training should be conducted. The key priority is to support each child based on their individual health status while also addressing their weaknesses – without increasing the risk of injury. To assess the effectiveness of these interventions, we use questionnaires and follow-ups before and after each training session.” Dr. Neu tells us in conversation.
United Against Childhood Cancer: Special New Exercises for Extraordinary Patients
As part of the FORTEe project, Pixformance, in collaboration with a team of pediatricians, pediatric oncologists, sports scientists, and physiotherapists from Oxford and Mainz, has developed new exercises tailored to young patients. In addition to the 500+ exercises in the Pixformance catalog, these newly designed training routines feature an interactive avatar to engage children in a playful way. They have been specifically created to meet the unique needs of pediatric cancer patients.
In 2022, the various project sites launched the intervention phase.
“We are very proud to be part of this important project and excited to see its progress,” says Pixformance CEO Valerie Bures-Bönström.
FORTEe avatar-Guided exercises Now available for all pixformance users
Starting January 31, 2025, the custom-developed avatar for the FORTEe project will be available to all Pixformance users. This update brings avatar-guided workouts, specifically designed for children and young adults, to the innovative Pixformance training platform. Developed under the leadership of the Oxford Brookes University team, these exercises introduce a playful element while integrating advanced sensor technology with real-time feedback, ensuring a safe and effective functional training experience.
FORTEe is funded by the EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation, “Horizon 2020” (Grant Agreement 945153). The project is scientifically coördinated by Univ. Prof. Dr. med. Jörg Faber, Dr. Marie Neu, and Elias Dreismickenbecker from the Pediatric Oncology Center at the University Medical Center Mainz. This website solely reflects the views of the authors. The European Commission is not responsible for any use of the information contained herein.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT OR DIGITAL MOVEMENT THERAPY WITH PIXFORMANCE?
Your Contact Person
Tobias Baader | COO