Effectiveness of Video Games as Physical Treatment in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis: Systematic Review.

Remedios López-Liria,María Ángeles Valverde-Martínez,Patricia Rocamora-Pérez,Francisco Antonio Vega-Ramírez,Amelia Victoria García-Luengo,Daniel Checa-Mayordomo

doi:10.3390/s22051902

Remedios López-Liria, María Ángeles Valverde-Martínez + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/s22051902

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Abstract

Physical training at home by making individuals play active video games is a new therapeutic strategy to improve the condition of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). We reviewed studies on the use of video games and their benefits in the treatment of CF. We conducted a systematic review with data from six databases (PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, PEDro, and Cochrane library plus) since 2010, according to PRISMA standards. The descriptors were: “Cystic Fibrosis”, “Video Game”, “Gaming Console”, “Pulmonary Rehabilitation”, “Physiotherapy”, and “Physical Therapy”. Nine articles with 320 participants met the inclusion criteria and the study objective. Patients who played active video games showed a high intensity of exercise and higher ventilatory and aerobic capacity compared to the values of these parameters in tests such as the cardiopulmonary stress test or the six-minute walk test. Adequate values of metabolic demand in these patients were recorded after playing certain video games. A high level of treatment adherence and satisfaction was observed in both children and adults. Although the quality of the included studies was moderate, the evidence to confirm these results was insufficient. More robust studies are needed, including those on evaluation and health economics, to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.

Highlights

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is known as mucoviscidosis due to the production of copious amounts of sticky mucus [1] that accumulates mainly in the lungs and other organs
The exclusion criteria were as follows: articles in which video games were applied to another pathology, not addressing cystic fibrosis (CF), or that were not related to the aim in this review; and bibliographical, systematic, or meta-analysis reviews, and doctoral theses
The following PICOS eligibility criteria were used for the selection of the articles: Participants were patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CF; only physiotherapy techniques or rehabilitation with video games was used for intervention; the comparator included studies comparing other interventions or no intervention; the outcomes were defined as any objective measure of health, and all clinical data were measured by a validated tool

Summary

Introduction

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is known as mucoviscidosis due to the production of copious amounts of sticky mucus [1] that accumulates mainly in the lungs and other organs. It is an autosomal recessive inherited genetic disease caused by a mutation of the CFTR gene (CF Transmembrane Conductance Regulator) and exhibits chronic and fatal pathology due to bronchiectasis and progressive and obstructive pulmonary deterioration [2]. The symptoms in children at the pulmonary level include chronic coughing or expectoration, infection of the bronchi by bacteria, bronchiectasis (very common in most people with CF), atelectasis, airway obstructions, and nasal polyps. Adults might have lung infections, pancreatitis, biliary cirrhosis, and chronic cough, as well as biliary lithiasis, jaundice, sinusitis, and infertility [5]

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