Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41537478›Full record

Trial reportGeriatrics & gerontology international2026

Effects of Electronic Sports on Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Hiroshi Hayashi, Toshimasa Sone, Kazuaki Iokawa, Akihiko Asao, Takaaki Fujita, Koshi Sumigawa, Hironori Kawamata, Iori Kawasaki, Maki Ogasawara, Daisuke Matsumoto and 1 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Geriatrics & gerontology international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Hiroshi HayashiDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5855-491X
Toshimasa SoneDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.
Kazuaki IokawaDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.
Akihiko AsaoDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.
Takaaki FujitaDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9009-8325
Koshi SumigawaDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.
Hironori KawamataDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.
Iori KawasakiDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.
Maki OgasawaraDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.
Daisuke MatsumotoDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.
Shinobu KawakatsuDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Aizu Medical Center, Fukushima Medical University, Aizuwakamatsu, Japan.

Funding

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare 23GB1003
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimElectronic sports (eSports) are sports in which multiple players compete in video games with a defined set of rules. This may have an impact on cognitive function or psychiatric symptoms in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI); however, it has not been extensively studied. This study aimed to examine whether eSports could improve cognitive function and psychiatric symptoms in older adults with MCI.

methodsThis was a single-blind, two-arm, randomized controlled study. Thirty-four community-dwelling older adults with MCI were randomly assigned to either the intervention (60 min once a week for 8 weeks) or control group. Participants were assessed for cognitive function (global cognition, attention, and executive function) and psychiatric symptoms (depression and apathy) before and after the intervention. Changes in prefrontal cortex activation during verbal fluency tasks were also preliminarily examined in some participants using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

resultsBoth groups showed improved global cognition; however, the group interaction was not significant. No significant changes in attention, executive function, or psychiatric symptoms were observed in either group. Hemodynamic data showed no significant changes in the prefrontal cortex activation pre- and post-intervention in the two groups as well.

conclusionsThe effects of eSports on cognitive function and psychiatric symptoms in older adults with MCI could not be confirmed in the present study. The potential of eSports to enhance cognition and alleviate psychiatric symptoms in older adults warrants further investigation through larger, rigorously designed studies to establish its efficacy.

Indexed as

CognitionCognitive DysfunctionSportsVideo GamesAgedAged, 80 and overAttentionExecutive FunctionFemaleHumansIndependent LivingMaleNeuropsychological TestsSingle-Blind MethodSpectroscopy, Near-InfraredeSportsfunctional near‐infrared spectroscopymild cognitive impairmentolder adults

Identifiers

PMID41537478
PMCPMC12805801

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.