Feasibility and effects of serious games for people with dementia: A systematic review and recommendations for future research
C. Dietlein, S. Eichberg, T. Fleiner, W. Zijlstra
Full text PDF 
( Download count: 6509)
AbstractBackground and purpose: Over 40 million people worldwide are currently living with dementia. Physical activity is one treatment option for this target group and delays the occurrence of symptoms, such as forgetfulness or disorientation. So far, it is unclear whether integrating serious games, which combine multimedia, entertainment, and training, into dementia therapy can bring additional benefits. The aim of this paper is to identify the available studies and to analyze the feasibility and effectiveness of serious games for people with dementia. Based on a systematic evaluation of studies, the paper tries to present recommendations for future research. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in various databases using key words related to dementia, serious games, and different outcome domains (i.e. cognitive and physical functioning, and personal/behavioral aspects). After screening titles, abstracts and full-texts, studies meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed with regard to feasibility, effectiveness, and study quality. Results: Out of 11.198 potentially relevant studies, 11 studies were included in the analysis. Feasibility analysis showed that serious games should be played under the supervision and in groups in order to support understanding and handling of the technology, to foster social interaction and adherence to the program. Overall, serious games were found to be safe. Six studies with a controlled study design were available for analyzing effectiveness. These studies were of low methodological quality and represented a wide variety of intervention and assessment approaches. Four studies showed that serious games improved cognition, and in one study physical performance improved equally in intervention and control group. An added benefit of serious gaming compared to traditional interventions could not be identified. Conclusion: Serious games seem feasible in people with dementia. However, due to the limited number of available studies, the low methodological quality and a large heterogeneity of studies the overall effectiveness of serious games for people with dementia is unclear. Further research with solid study designs combining supervised group-based serious gaming and traditional therapist-led interventions is recommended.Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, serious games, computer-assisted
C. Dietlein, S. Eichberg, T. Fleiner, W. Zijlstra (2018). Feasibility and effects of serious games for people with dementia: A systematic review and recommendations for future research. Gerontechnology, 17(1), 1-17
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2018.17.1.001.00