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Exergaming Executive Functions: An Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Training for Adults Aged 50 and Older
Huang KT.. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 2019-12-02
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Prior research suggests that both exergaming and virtual reality (VR)-based training programs could improve executive functions in older adults. However, few studies investigated whether combining exergaming with VR would be more effective. This study seeks to (a) investigate whether playing exergames in an immersive virtual environment (IVE) would yield differential outcomes in selected executive functions, including inhibition, task switching, and working, and (b) examine the role of feeling of presence as a potential mediator between immersive exergaming and cognitive improvement in specific domains. Thirty-three participants over 50 years of age (mean age = 62) participated in a 4-week training program and were randomly assigned into an IVE and non-IVE to play an exergame (Fruit Ninja) for eight sessions within 4 weeks. The results revealed a significant effect of the IVE on the Stroop Test and Trail Making Test after the 4-week training. Furthermore, the impacts of the IVE exergaming on these two tasks were mediated by the feeling of presence. These findings suggested that the immersive experience of exergaming would elicit the feeling of presence, which later contributes to improved cognitive performances in inhibition and task switching. For the theoretical implications, this study extends previous research by showing that (a) feeling of presence could contribute to older adults' cognitive improvement, and (b) the impacts of immersive exergame training on executive functions vary across individual domains. Additionally, this study provides practical implications such that the design of exergames could emphasize the game features requiring mental simulation, which can serve as a novel strategy for preventing cognitive decline in midlife and old age.
Key findings
- Prior research suggests that both exergaming and virtual reality (VR)-based training programs could improve executive functions in older adults.
- The results revealed a significant effect of the IVE on the Stroop Test and Trail Making Test after the 4-week training.
- These findings suggested that the immersive experience of exergaming would elicit the feeling of presence, which later contributes to improved cognitive performances in inhibition and task switching.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 23 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 40 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31794673) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 23 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 23 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 40 out of 100. |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
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APA 7th
Huang, K. T. (2020). Exergaming Executive Functions: An Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Training for Adults Aged 50 and Older. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2019.0269
Vancouver
Huang KT. Exergaming Executive Functions: An Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Training for Adults Aged 50 and Older. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking. 2020. doi:10.1089/cyber.2019.0269. PMID: 31794673.
BibTeX
@article{huang2020-31794673,
author = {Huang, K. T.},
title = {{Exergaming Executive Functions: An Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Training for Adults Aged 50 and Older}},
journal = {Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1089/cyber.2019.0269},
pmid = {31794673},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2019.0269}
}