Computer and Videogame Interventions for Older Adults' Cognitive and Everyday Functioning

Abstract

Objective: This study compared older adults' gains in cognitive and everyday functioning after a 60-session home-based videogame intervention with gains seen under formal cognitive training and usual care/no intervention. Materials and Methods: Participants were randomized to one of three groups: one group played an off-the-shelf videogame (i.e., Crazy Taxi), the second group engaged in a computerized training program focused on visual attention and processing speed (i.e., PositScience InSight), and the third group received no training. Training in the two intervention conditions consisted of 60 training sessions of 1 hour each, which were completed in 3 months (5 hours a week). Participants received a broad battery of cognitive and everyday functioning assessments immediately before (pretest), after (post-test), and 3 months after (follow-up) training. Results: Both training conditions improved on direct assessments of trained outcomes. In the InSight-trained group, we found transfer to untrained measures of visual attention and processing speed that were similar to the trained tasks, and these gains endured for up to 3 months. Participants in the videogame condition showed small additional benefits, not emerging until 3 months after intervention completion, on a measure of both attention and mood. No trained groups showed gain on visuospatial skills or memory. Conclusion:Training effects were highly specific to the target of training. Training effects to visual attention and processing speed were, as expected, larger for InSight-trained participants but were also seen for videogame participants. Given that past research has shown that videogame training leads to greater engagement than cognitive training, videogame interventions may represent a choice for more modest gains in a more engaging context.

Playing Minecraft Improves Hippocampal-Associated Memory for Details in Middle Aged Adults

“…Therefore, it seems reasonable to conclude that playing complex, off-the-shelf 3D video games can have positive effects on memory ability. There is other evidence that commercial video games can result in positive benefits in cognitive functioning in older adults (Belchior et al, 2016 , 2019 ; Vázquez et al, 2018 ; Perrot et al, 2019 ), including on tasks of executive functioning, attention, and working memory. Similarly, video game training has been shown to enhance the neural signature of cognitive control using EEG in young adults (Anguera et al, 2013 ).…”

Exergames to Prevent the Secondary Functional Deterioration of Older Adults during Hospitalization and Isolation Periods during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Like any other rehabilitation technique, exergames need to be guided with specific therapeutic objectives that respond to structured planning. Concerns have arisen about the lack of standardized clinical guidelines and treatment protocols for the use of exergames in older people [26,40,41]. Decreased visual or auditory acuity, muscle weakness, the loss of motor dexterity, slow gait speed, or difficulty in processing simultaneous stimuli can hinder the optimal participation in exergames and generate feelings of incompetence, thus risking the loss of the benefits derived from the practice of physical exercise with virtual technology.…”

Condiciones metodológicas de los programas de entrenamiento cognitivo en adultos mayores: una revisión narrativa

“…La edad promedio fue 69 años, el número de sesiones osciló entre 13 y 112; a su vez, el tiempo promedio por cada sesión fue de 44 minutos, con un rango de 10 a 60 minutos. Además, el promedio de las semanas de intervención fue de 15, con un intervalo de entre 6 y 52 semanas (Belchior et al, 2019;Buitenweg et al, 2019;Corbett et al, 2015;Chiu et al, 2018;Cujzek & Vranic, 2017;Guye & von Bastian, 2017;Tagliabue et al, 2018;Turunen et al, 2019).…”

“…genera el elemento lúdico. Se informaron efectos significativos en la velocidad de procesamiento, razonamiento, memoria, inhibición, atención visual y fluidez verbal (Belchior et al, 2019;Buitenweg et al, 2019;Corbett et al, 2015;Chiu et al, 2018;Cujzek & Vranic, 2017;Guye & von Bastian, 2017;Tagliabue et al, 2018;Turunen et al, 2019).…”