Serious Games in the new era of digital-health interventions: A narrative review of their therapeutic applications to manage neurobehavior in neurodevelopmental disorders

Cultural applicability and desirability of ‘Broodles’: The first serious game intervention for siblings of children with disabilities

“…The siblings of these children were between the age of 2 and 14 years ( M = 7.47, SD = 3.29, 1 missing), and had ID due to various genetic disorders, such as Prader-Willis syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, and Down Syndrome. The user evaluations of these families are summarized in Table 2 , sorted by engagement factors [ 5 ].…”

“…Two researchers (KF, LV) summarized the user evaluations, using the model of engagement factors in serious games, as proposed by Vacca et al [ 5 ]. This includes: (1) ‘Game elements’, the different characterizing parts and mechanisms in the game, (2) ‘Technology’, the way the game works and its usability, to which we added ‘Format’, to also include broader comments about the way the game is arranged, (3) ‘Narrative’, the storyline and situations represented in the game, (4) ‘Aesthetic’, the look and feel of the game, and (5) ‘Purpose’, the perceived learning outcomes of the game.…”

“…They are engaging, can result in more effective learning than conventional instruction methods, and can overcome access barriers and care burdens [ [1] , [2] , [3] ]. Serious games can be used in raising awareness, detection, prevention, and treatment of health problems [ 4 ], and can take various forms, use different techniques and gaming elements [ 5 ]. Meta-analyses have shown that serious games are potentially effective in promoting skill development and mental health in children with and without disabilities [ 3 , 6 ].…”

“…Acceptability and effectiveness of online interventions are related to engagement [ 31 ], i.e., the ‘extent of usage’ and the ‘subjective experience’ of using the intervention [ 43 ]. Therefore, factors and game components that contribute to engagement, and thus obtaining learning goals, were investigated, using Vacca et al's model [ 5 ] formulated for serious games, based on the ‘Elemental Tetrad of Games' [ 44 ].…”

Effect of Cognitive Training Programs Based on Computer Systems on Executive Functions in Children With ADHD: A Systematic Review

“…Other reviews have included studies in the population with neurodevelopmental disorders but not specifically on ADHD (Ren et al, 2023; Vacca et al, 2023). Among these, Ren et al (2023) compiled 29 studies on the efficacy of game-based cognitive training in children with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia.…”