Table 1 Characteristics of included studies
From: The overlooked role of exergames in cognitive-motor neurorehabilitation: a systematic review
Type of disease | Author information | Type of study | Sample characteristic | Device | Training protocols | Treatment duration; location supervision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MCI | Saeed et al.22 | RCT | N = 97; adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI); age: 60–80 years | Custom exergame with wobble board (Android-based) | 3 sessions/week, 40 min/session for 8 weeks; different difficulty levels (mild, moderate, high) controlled by goal size and ball speed | Duration: 8 weeks; Location: rehabilitation center (Pakistan Railway Hospital, Rawalpindi); Supervision: physical therapist trained in exergaming |
Li et al.25 | RCT | N = 232; Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia; mean age: ~73 years | Nintendo Switch – WarioWare: Move It! | 2 sessions/week, 60 min/session, 12 weeks; motion-sensing exercises (waving, jumping, arm swinging, rotational movements) | Duration: 12 weeks; Location: rural LTCFs (Shanxi Province, China); Supervision: trained staff provided tailored assistance | |
mNCD Manser and de Bruin23 | RCT | N = 37; older adults with mild neurocognitive disorder (mNCD); mean age: 72.8 ± 9.0 years | “Brain-IT” exergame platform (Dividat Senso Flex, Polar HRV sensors) | 12-week individualized motor-cognitive exergame training with HRV-guided resonance breathing; ≥5×/week, 24 min/session | Duration: 12 weeks; Location: home-based; Supervision: 19–24 sessions remotely supervised | |
Swinnen et al.24 | RCT | 45 participants (mean age 84.7–85.3 years, MMSE score: 17.2 ± 4.5); gender: 35 women (77.8%), 10 men (22.2%); diagnosis: Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, mixed forms; inclusion criteria: age ≥65 years, diagnosed with MNCD, able to perform standing exercises | Dividat Senso exergame system: pressure-sensitive step training platform | 8 weeks, 3 sessions/week, 15 min of exergaming (intervention) Control: 8 weeks, 3 sessions/week, 15 min of listening to music videos Training adjusted based on individual capabilities | Duration: 8 weeks; Location: University Psychiatric Centre KUL, De Wingerd long-term care facility (Belgium); Supervision: individual sessions supervised by a physical therapist to ensure safety and comfort | |
Manser et al.30 | Feasibility and usability study | N = 18; Mean age: 77.3 ± 9.8 years; 44.4% female; Older adults with mild neurocognitive disorder (mNCD) | “Senso Flex” (Dividat AG) | 12-week individualized training with exergame-based motor-cognitive exercises and HRV-guided resonance breathing; Sessions: ≥5×/week, 21 min/session | Duration: 12 weeks; Location: home-based; Supervision: 19–24 sessions supervised by study investigators | |
Werner et al.31 | Secondary analysis | N = 56; Older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia; mean age: 82.7 ± 6.2 years | Physiomat® (balance training system) | 10-week, task-specific motor-cognitive training; 2 sessions/week, focused on postural control and cognitive tasks (Trail Making Test) | Duration: 10 weeks; Location: rehabilitation center; Supervision: qualified trainer | |
Salisbury et al.28 | RCT | N = 39; older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD); mean age: 74.6 ± 7.4 years; 69% female | BrainFitRx (Moai Technologies, LLC) | 3 sessions/week for 12 weeks; Dual-task exergaming combining moderate-intensity cycling and cognitive training | Duration: 12 weeks; Location: home-based (Telerehabilitation); Supervision: remote supervision via Zoom by study interventionists | |
Stroke | Kannan et al.27 | RCT | N = 24; chronic stroke survivors (PwCS); hemiparetic, ambulatory; age N/A | Wii Fit (Nintendo) | 6 weeks of high-intensity, tapered balance training; 20 sessions total; dual-task training with exergames (Wii Fit) combined with cognitive tasks | Duration: 6 weeks; Location: rehabilitation facility; Supervision: study investigators |
Huber et al.29 | Feasibility study | N = 13 (10 completed); chronic stroke patients (≥18 years); median age: 68 years | Dividat Senso (pressure-sensitive platform) | 2 sessions/week for 8 weeks; Motor-cognitive exergame-based rehabilitation with personalized progression using an adapted taxonomy | Duration: 8 weeks; Location: Physiotherapy center and senior home (Zurich, Switzerland); Supervision: one-to-one by trained movement scientists | |
Maier et al.26 | RCT | N = 30; age 45–75; community-dwelling chronic stroke patients (>6 months post-stroke); MoCA <26; mild–moderate motor deficits; no severe cognitive or perceptual impairments | VR-based system (Rehabilitation Gaming System - RGS) with motion capture, avatars, and adaptive algorithms | Daily 30 min (3 VR tasks × 10 min); 5 days/week for 6 weeks; tasks include Star Constellations, Quality Controller, Complex Spheroids | Location: hospital-based; Supervision: supervised setup only (therapists only assisted technically, no therapeutic feedback). Training executed independently by participants | |
PD | Yun et al.32 | Prospective, single-center, single-arm feasibility study | 12 participants (mean age 73.83 ± 6.09 years) | HTC Vive Pro (HMD, controllers, trackers, Steam VR base station) | 10 sessions, 2–3 times a week, 30 min per session Exergames: go/no-go punch game, go/no-go stepping game, number punch game | Duration: 10 sessions, total of 30 min per session; Location: Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Supervision: Supervised by an occupational therapist during the VR sessions |
