It’s Ingrid Bell’s turn at bat. She steps up to the plate, awaiting the pitch. A 70-mph fastball soars toward her. She swings and connects with the ball.

Foul ball! Everyone cheers for her anyway.

This baseball game’s not taking place on a field, and there’s no real bat or ball to be seen. Mrs. Bell is playing the Nintendo Wii as part of her occupational therapy. She is among 30 Parkinson’s disease patients participating in a Medical College of Georgia study to determine if occupational therapy enhances the treatment of the disease.

Parkinson’s disease affects daily tasks that people take for granted. Brushing teeth, getting out of bed and walking become a problem for these patients because of dopamine depletion, which results in stiffness or slowing of movement and fine motor dysfunction.

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