Efficacy of interactive video gaming in older adults with memory complaints: A cluster-randomized exercise intervention

Abstract

Purpose The effects of aging on physical and mental health may be ameliorated by regular participation in physical activity (PA). There is also evidence for the benefits of various training modalities on cognition and functional ability in older adults. The aim of this study was to compare effects of a 12-week active video gaming intervention (X Box Kinect Sports) to conventional multimodal supervised exercise on fitness, functional ability and cognitive performance in older adults with memory complaints. Methods Participants (n = 45, 72±5 yrs.) were recruited from 6 retirement homes and cluster-randomized into the Interactive Video Gaming (IVG) group (N = 23) or Conventional Multimodal (CM) group (N = 22), meeting 2 x 1 hour sessions, weekly for 12 weeks. Pre-post measures included: 6 min walk, timed up and go, dynamic balance, functional reach, Mini-Mental State Examination, N-back Task and the Modified Stroop task. Results The IVG group demonstrated significant improvement in the total number correct responses on the Stroop task (P = 0.028) and for average reaction time of correct colour-words (P = 0.024), compared to the CM group. Functional ability improved significantly in the IVG group, including the 6-min walk (P = 0.017), dynamic balance (P = 0.03), timed up and go (P<0.001) and functional reach (P<0.0010). Conclusion An active interactive video gaming intervention was more effective than conventional multimodal exercise in improving executive and global cognitive performance and functional capacity in older adults with subjective memory complaints. Trial registration Pan African Clinical Trial Registry—PACTR202008547335106.

Effectiveness and Acceptability of e- and m-Health Interventions to Promote Physical Activity and Prevent Falls in Nursing Homes—A Systematic Review

“… Ulbrecht et al (2012) employed the DemTect ( Kalbe et al, 2004 ) in addition to the MMSE. Significant improvement compared to the comparison group which received conventional group-based exercise was reported in one study ( Ramnath et al, 2021 ), and Grigorova-Petrova et al (2015) found a significant improvement in MMSE scores in the post-measurement. No significant differences were observed in the other studies.…”

“…All studies reporting TUG scores found significant improvements for the exergaming intervention groups. When compared to groups that received a combination of balance and strength training ( Sun et al, 2018 ; Ramnath et al, 2021 ) or bike ergometer and treadmill training ( Cicek et al, 2020 ) the exergaming groups improved significantly. However, compared to conventional balance training without strength exercises, no differences were observed ( Yesilyaprak et al, 2016 ; Babadi and Daneshmandi, 2021 ).…”

“…From the additional search, another 75 articles were included in the full-text screening, of which 8 met the inclusion criteria. Thus, a total of 28 articles were included in this systematic review ( Chan et al, 2001 ; Brandt and Paniagua, 2011 ; Keogh et al, 2012 ; Pichierri et al, 2012 ; Ulbrecht et al, 2012 ; Janssen et al, 2013 ; Keogh et al, 2014 ; Fu et al, 2015 ; Grigorova-Petrova et al, 2015 ; Rogan et al, 2016 ; Yesilyaprak et al, 2016 ; Delbroek et al, 2017 ; Monteiro-Junior et al, 2017 ; Hutchinson et al, 2018 ; Kamińska et al, 2018 ; Sun et al, 2018 ; Taylor et al, 2018 ; Wu et al, 2019 ; de Bruin et al, 2020 ; Cicek et al, 2020 ; Fakhro et al, 2020 ; Rica et al, 2020 ; Babadi and Daneshmandi, 2021 ; Huang et al, 2021 ; Loggia et al, 2021 ; Marinus et al, 2021 ; Ramnath et al, 2021 ; Zahedian-Nasab et al, 2021 ). The PRISMA flow diagram of the study selection process is shown in Figure 1 .…”

“…All the tests below were described to be able to identify individuals who are prone to falls or to predict the probability of falls in various populations ( Shumway-Cook et al, 2000 ; Hall et al, 2004 ; An et al, 2017 ; Cleary and Skornyakov, 2017 ; Raîche et al, 2000 ; Jeon and Kim, 2017 ; Lauretani et al, 2019 ; Rose et al, 2002 ). Nine studies ( Grigorova-Petrova et al, 2015 ; Yesilyaprak et al, 2016 ; Sun et al, 2018 ; Wu et al, 2019 ; Cicek et al, 2020 ; Fakhro et al, 2020 ; Babadi and Daneshmandi, 2021 ; Ramnath et al, 2021 ; Zahedian-Nasab et al, 2021 ) assessed fall risk using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG, Mathias et al, 1986 ), two ( Monteiro-Junior et al, 2017 ; Rica et al, 2020 ) a slightly modified version of the TUG, the 8-Foot Up and Go test (8UG, Rikli and Jones, 1999 ), and one ( Delbroek et al, 2017 ) the instrumented TUG (iTUG, Salarian et al, 2010 ), which uses portable inertial sensors for a more detailed analysis. All studies reporting TUG scores found significant improvements for the exergaming intervention groups.…”

“…General cognitive function was evaluated in five studies, with four ( Ulbrecht et al, 2012 ; Grigorova-Petrova et al, 2015 ; Monteiro-Junior et al, 2017 ; Ramnath et al, 2021 ) using the MMSE ( Folstein et al, 1975 ) and one ( Delbroek et al, 2017 ) the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA, Nasreddine et al, 2005 ). Ulbrecht et al (2012) employed the DemTect ( Kalbe et al, 2004 ) in addition to the MMSE.…”