Abstract
EFs are a set of processes that supports many cognitive domains as goal setting, monitoring, planning, and cognitive-behavioural flexible control. Currently, many standardized paper-and-pencil tests or scales are used to assess EFs. These tests are easy to administer, score, and interpret but present some limitations in terms of generalizability of behaviours in real life. More recently, Information and Communication Technology has provided a higher ecological validity in the EFs assessment. In order to increase the ecological validity, we have developed a serious game (SG), named EXPANSE, which aim was to compare the participants’ game performance (latency times, and correct answers) with the results obtained in the traditional tasks and scales. 354 healthy subjects participated to the study and the findings showed significant correlations among standard tasks and the serious game. The exploratory nature of the present study, on one hand, highlighted that SG could be an additional behavioral tool to assess EFs and, on the other, we need further investigations, including clinical populations, for better defining the game sensitivity toward EF components. Finally, the results show that serious games are a promising technology for the evaluation of real cognitive behavior along with traditional evaluation.
Highlights
Cognitive functions are critical human aspects involving the nature and heterogeneity of everyday experience
These processes include a subset of functions of the brain, called executive functions (EF), such as attention, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, planning, and problem solving, governing goal-directed behaviors and adapting responses in accordance with specific situations [3,4]
The results showed that the 3D task is sensitive to differentiate between the two groups and that it positively correlated with traditional measures, providing support to construct and ecological validity
Summary
Cognitive functions are critical human aspects involving the nature and heterogeneity of everyday experience. Cognitive functioning is a broad term referring to higher-level mental processes of processing information involving the ability to sustain attention, inhibiting responses, planning behaviors, maintaining goals and information in mind, and solving problems [1, 2]. These processes include a subset of functions of the brain, called executive functions (EF), such as attention, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, planning, and problem solving, governing goal-directed behaviors and adapting responses in accordance with specific situations [3,4]. EFs dysfunctions have been found in many mental disorders including addictions [5], depression [6], and attention deficit disorder [7, 8], producing inabilities in many everyday living activities, such as study, recreational activities, social relationships and work [9]
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