Video Game-based Interventions Research Articles

Video Games Interventions to Reduce Radicalization and Violent Extremism in Young People: A Systematic Review

The development and consumption of video games have experienced a significant boom in recent decades. Recently, attention has been paid to the impact they can have on young people and how extremist and radical groups are using them to recruit and reinforce hateful ideas and behaviors. It would be innovative to use this powerful tool to prevent and educate on values and rights, thereby reducing prejudices toward the outgroup. Therefore, the present systematic review aims to gather and systematize existing knowledge on video game-based interventions to reduce and prevent extremism and violent radicalization in young people, following the PRISMA method, analyzing a total of six articles. The results indicate that such interventions can reduce prejudiced behaviors toward outgroup individuals and increase resilience, empathy, and prosocial interactions. However, further exploration in this field is necessary to better understand the mechanisms involved and improve video game designs for preventive purposes.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mobile Game to Support Smoking Cessation: Repeated Measures Study.

Approximately half of smokers attempt to quit, but 90% of these attempts fail. Video game-based interventions have the potential to address common barriers to evidence-based smoking cessation treatment, including high cost, lack of health care access, and low engagement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a video game-based smoking cessation intervention called Inspired and its impact on the 7-day smoking point prevalence at the 30-day follow-up. US adults (n=48) were recruited via the web to use Inspired on their smartphones for 7 weeks. The object of the game was to defend a healing tree against attackers. Levels of the game were unlocked twice daily when participants self-reported the number of cigarettes they smoked since the previous entry. Completion of the levels awarded players in-game currency, which could strengthen in-game abilities. Participants received additional in-game rewards to aid gameplay by submitting either smoking self-reports only or self-reports indicating abstinence, determined through random assignment. In addition, participants completed a web-based survey at intake, week 4, week 7, and the 30-day follow-up. Of the 48 participants, who had an average age of 39.8 (SD 10.7) years, 27 (56%) were female, 4 (8%) Hispanic, 37 (77%) White, and 27 (56%) employed; 26 (54%) earned <US $40,000 a year; and 14 (29%) lived in nonurban areas (eg, rural and suburban). There were no significant differences between the groups, so all outcome data were combined. Participants averaged 20.6 (SD 15.3) days of gameplay and reached a mean highest game level of 10.7 (SD 8.4), although there was a high degree of variability. Participants reported abstinence on 31.4% (SD 38.2%) of all cessation phase reports and averaged 5.4 (SD 9.8) consecutive abstinent smoke reports. For every 1 SD increase in the highest level achieved, there was a 27% increase in the percentage of abstinent samples and a 405% increase in longest continuous abstinence. At the 30-day follow-up, 23% (11/48) of the participants reported having not taken a cigarette puff in the prior 7 days and 31% (15/48) had spent at least 24 hours without smoking in the prior 14 days. On an 11-point scale, participants rated the intervention moderately favorably: if they had to do it again, they would use Inspired to help them quit (mean 6.4, SD 3.4), and Inspired was helpful in their current attempt to quit (mean 5.4, SD 3.6). These results support the acceptability of Inspired. Although high dropout rates prevent conclusions on feasibility, a subset of the participants responded favorably. Scalable and accessible video game-based smoking cessation interventions could be the key to addressing the foremost cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03929003; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03929003.

Winning The Game Against Depression: A Systematic Review of Video Games for the Treatment of Depressive Disorders.

Purpose of reviewTo review the evidence about video game-based therapeutic intervention for people diagnosed with depressive disorders.Recent findingsPsychotherapy has been proved to reduce depressive symptoms and is a key element in the treatment of depressive disorders. However, geographical, economical and stigmatized concerns are barriers to access to psychotherapy. New technologies and videos games can overcome some of these barriers by providing teleconferencing evidence-based therapy as time as they may offer an interactive entertainment.SummaryOverall, video game-based interventions were useful and effective in reducing symptoms of depressive disorders. Seven of the studies were published in the last 5 years, which reflects the increased research interest in video game-based interventions for depression. Overall, when adherence was reported, rates of acceptability and feasibility were high.

Video Games for the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.

Video games are a promising area of intervention for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, reviews on this topic are scarce. This review on studies exploring video games for the treatment of ASD followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, and its protocol was registered in PROSPERO. PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, WebOfScience and clinicaltrials.gov databases were searched. Twenty-four articles were included in the review. Video game-based interventions were effective for alleviating ASD symptoms, albeit with small effect sizes. High rates of acceptability and adherence to treatment were obtained. Conclusion: Video games are a promising area for improving the treatment of children with ASD. Exploring commercial video games is one of the lines for future research.

Health Benefits of Digital Videogames for the Aging Population: A Systematic Review.

Objective: This article presents the results of a systematic review of the latest, state-of-the-art research on videogames designed for older adults (i.e., those aged 65 or older) and the health benefits derived from playing these games. Findings from each study that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed and summarized into emergent themes to determine the impact of digital games in promoting healthy behaviors and benefits among these older adults. Materials and Methods: Five databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Google Scholar) were searched for studies that evaluated interventions of videogames for older adults aged 65 and older. The initial search yielded 806 articles. After evaluating them against the inclusion criteria, 23 studies remained. Results: Out of the 23 studies we reviewed, 20 reported the significant impact of videogame interventions on the elderly's physical health. In addition, 14 studies reported effects on the elderly's mental health. Exergame is the most popular type of game used in these videogame-based interventions. This review also includes the details of study design (e.g., type of intervention, length, frequency), population sample, and measurements used in the studies. Conclusions: This systematic review demonstrates that videogame-based interventions are helpful in promoting physical health (i.e., balance, mobility, strength, physical fitness, and walking performance/gait parameters) and mental health (i.e., balance confidence, executive functions, reaction time, and processing speed) among older adults. It can also be used by researchers in this field to inform their design decisions. We have listed guidelines that can be used to frame future research in the area and enhance its quality.

Video games for the assessment and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent and serious disorder among children. Video games have shown potential for aiding in child healthcare. Video games could contribute to the assessment and management of ADHD, but there are no previous reviews on this topic. Here, we systematically review the evidence about video game-based assessment tools and interventions for children diagnosed with ADHD. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO database. We searched four databases-PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase and clinicaltrials.gov-to identify original studies exploring either video game-based interventions or video game-based assessment tools in children with ADHD. After initial screening, full text revision and study selection, 22 articles were finally included in the review. Most studies used PC as platform, with a minority using a video console, pad, or 3D device. Video game-based assessment tools were generally effective in discriminating ADHD cases from controls, and in discriminating between ADHD subtypes. Video game-based therapeutic interventions were well accepted and generally effective in improving cognitive areas and decreasing ADHD symptoms. Gamification and cognitive training could be the main mechanisms underlying the usefulness and effectiveness of video game-based assessment tools and interventions. Software optimization and greater collaboration between developers and healthcare professionals are some of the priorities for future research in this area.

Efficacy of video game-based interventions for active aging. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundDue to the appeal and recent technological advances of video games, the games have gained interest as an intervention tool for active aging. The aim of this systematic literature review and meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of video games for active aging and to examine the influence of potential moderator variables.MethodsA systematic search was done using the following databases: Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. In addition, previous reviews and meta-analyses were used to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) of video game-based interventions for active aging published through February 28, 2018. An evaluation of the methodological quality of the articles and a meta-analysis and moderator analysis was conducted.ResultsA total of 22 articles depicting 21 RCT with 1125 participants were included. The results indicated that video game-based interventions produced positive effects on objectively measured physical health, negative affect and social health, with small effect sizes (d = 0.41, d = 0.26 and d = 0.40, respectively). The magnitude of this effect was moderated by the presence of subclinical conditions of participants, the type of game (exergames), the presence of physical activity, the type of prevention (indicated), non-blinded assignation, and older age of participants. The methodological quality of the studies was acceptable, the weakest area being external validity.ConclusionThese finding indicate that video game-based interventions may assist adults in leading active aging processes and preventing secondary aging. Although more research is needed, video game-based interventions are a promising and accessible tool for active aging promotion.

Intrinsic or Extrinsic? Using Videogames to Motivate Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review.

The main objective of this study was to explore, via a systematic review of available literature, the effectiveness of videogame-based rehabilitation interventions on the motivation and health outcomes of stroke patients. Using a systematic literature review of 18 articles, we sought to address three key research questions: (1) Do videogames improve function or health outcomes among stroke survivors? (2) Do videogames increase stroke patients' motivation to engage in rehabilitation exercise and activities? (3) Which motivational techniques, principles, and theoretical frameworks have been applied in the reviewed studies? A key word search was conducted, and articles were coded for inclusion of motivational theories or principles, intervention effectiveness, and participants' motivation to perform tasks. Three motivational frameworks and principles were used (self-determination theory [SDT], flow theory, and operant conditioning) to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic approaches. Past research suggests videogame-based interventions are effective at improving and increasing a variety of health-related outcomes, including motor functioning, energy expenditure, muscle strength, and recovery times in stroke patients. Past evidence shows videogame-based interventions are a promising tool to motivate stroke patients' engagement in effective rehabilitation activities. This study also identifies an opportunity for future research to apply motivational theories from SDT to studies on stroke rehabilitation and videogames.

Video Game-Based Approach in Calf Muscle Training: Lessons from Pilot Study.

Gaming technology is a popular application for physical rehabilitation. However, the key problem with a considerable group of patients is that their muscle function is extensively compromised, which significantly narrows the population eligible for video game-based rehabilitation. We designed a training system to integrate gaming and functional electrical stimulation for the lower leg muscles. Such a system is expected to motivate individuals to exercise more, to assist muscle control, and to promote muscle strengthening. In our previous study, we demonstrated that the training improved the lower leg muscles’ strength and increased the range of motion of the ankle joints. Here we discuss some issues associated with a video game-based approach in rehabilitation, which need to be addressed. In particular, one of the biggest challenges is in maintaining a proper balance between flexibility of the game application to allow adaptation to the patient’s needs from physiological and functional perspectives, and attractiveness of the game interface, all while assuring the most efficient and motivating rehabilitation. As the next step, we decided to design different types of game-based exercises and to expand the variety of game strategies in order to promote and maintain activity of peripheral and central structures of the neuromuscular system, and to avoid the monotony of repetitive tasks. Our ultimate goal is to transfer re-training of movement skills practiced during video game-based interventions to the ability to complete real world tasks and participate in functional activities outside of therapy.

Games for Health: Past, Present, and Future?

This article provides a review of selected past and present games for health. This will highlight some existing games for health and examine the relationship between health content and game technology. Because of this relationship, new technology trends may suggest future approaches to the application of videogame-based health interventions.