ReviewNPJ digital medicine2024
Exergaming and cognitive functions in people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a meta-analysis.
Review in NPJ digital medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Digital Physical Exercise Interventions for Cognitive Functions in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Comparative efficacy and certainty of evidence of exercise interventions for cognitive outcomes in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of different interventions based on virtual reality on cognitive and motor function in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of motor-cognitive training on cognitive function and gait performance in older adults with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of exercise interventions on cognitive function in patients with cognitive dysfunction: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Pooled it
- Game changer? Cognitive-motor effects of VR exergaming compared to video-based training.Annals of medicine · 2026Trial
- Structural brain improvements following individually tailored serious exergame-based training in mild neurocognitive disorders: exploratory randomized controlled trial.Alzheimer's research & therapy · 2025Trial
- Echinacoside Attenuates LPS-induced Neuroinflammation and Ameliorates Memory Deficit by Modulating the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis.Journal of microbiology and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Acute Cognitive Effects of Brief Physical Activity Breaks After Lecture-Based Academic Activity in Undergraduate University Students: A Randomized Crossover Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Exercise Training for Cerebrovascular and Cognitive Health in Adults at Risk of Cognitive Decline: A Scoping Review of Healthcare Translation and Evidence Gaps.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Exergame enjoyment using various devices and awareness of their use for physical activity and health improvement among young adults.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Co-designing with frail nursing home residents to gamify a VR-based physio-cognitive intervention.NPJ digital medicine · 2026Article
- The effects of exergaming on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Review
- Are gamifying exergames the future of intervention for people with dementia? Systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Review
- The effects of exergaming on executive functions in children with ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2026Review
- Article
- Effects of Balance-Based Exergame Training With Variable Difficulty on Balance and Spatiotemporal Gait Outcomes in Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
- The overlooked role of exergames in cognitive-motor neurorehabilitation: a systematic review.NPJ digital medicine · 2025Article
- Domain-Specific Evaluation of Exergame Metrics Among Older Adults With Mild Neurocognitive Disorder: Secondary Analysis of 2 Randomized Controlled Trials.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Exergaming is a combination of exercise and gaming. Evidence shows an association between exercise and cognition in older people. However, previous studies showed inconsistent results on the cognitive benefits of exergaming in people with cognitive impairment. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of exergaming intervention on cognitive functions in people with MCI or dementia. A systematic literature search was conducted via OVID databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examined the effect of an exergaming intervention on cognitive functions in people with MCI or dementia were included. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to the type of intervention and training duration. Twenty RCTs with 1152 participants were identified, including 14 trials for MCI and 6 trials for dementia. In people with MCI, 13 studies used virtual-reality (VR)-based exergaming. Those who received VR-based exergaming showed significantly better global cognitive function [SMD (95%CI) = 0.67 (0.23-1.11)], learning and memory [immediate recall test: 0.79 (0.31-1.27); delayed recall test: 0.75 (0.20-1.31)], working memory [5.83 (2.27-9.39)], verbal fluency [0.58 (0.12-1.03)], and faster in executive function than the controls. For people with dementia, all studies used video-based exergaming intervention. Participants with exergaming intervention showed significantly better global cognitive function than the controls [0.38 (0.10-0.67)]. Subgroup analyses showed that longer training duration generated larger effects. The findings suggest that exergaming impacts cognitive functions in people with MCI and dementia. Cognitive benefits are demonstrated for those with a longer training duration. With technological advancement, VR-based exergaming attracts the attention of people with MCI and performs well in improving cognitive functions.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.