Effects of exergaming on executive functions of children: a systematic review and meta-analysis from 2010 to 2023

Donnelly JE, Hillman CH, Castelli D, Etnier JL, Lee S, Tomporowski P, Lambourne K, Szabo-Reed AN. Physical activity, fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children: a systematic review. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(6):1197–222.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Diamond A. Executive functions. Annu Rev Psychol. 2013;64:135–68.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Diamond A. Executive functions. Handb Clin Neurol. 2020;173:225–40.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Doebel S. Rethinking executive function and its development. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2020;15(4):942–56.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Shaheen S. How child’s play impacts executive function–related behaviors. Appl Neuropsychol Child. 2014;3(3):182–7.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Diamond A, Lee K. Interventions shown to Aid executive function development in children 4 to 12 Years Old. Science. 2011;333(6045):959–64.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Blair C. Executive function and early childhood education. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2016;10:102–7.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Gathercole SE, Pickering SJ, Ambridge B, Wearing H. The structure of working memory from 4 to 15 years of age. Dev Psychol. 2004;40(2):177–90.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Gao Z, Chen S, Sun H, Wen X, Xiang P. Physical Activity in Children’s Health and Cognition. Biomed Res Int 2018, 2018:8542403.

de Greeff JW, Bosker RJ, Oosterlaan J, Visscher C, Hartman E. Effects of physical activity on executive functions, attention and academic performance in preadolescent children: a meta-analysis. J Sci Med Sport. 2018;21(5):501–7.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Liang X, Li R, Wong SHS, Sum RKW, Sit CHP. The impact of exercise interventions concerning executive functions of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2021;18(1):68.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Pratt M. What’s new in the 2020 World Health Organization Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior? J Sport Health Sci. 2021;10(3):288–9.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Alvarez-Bueno C, Pesce C, Cavero-Redondo I, Sanchez-Lopez M, Martinez-Hortelano JA, Martinez-Vizcaino V. The effect of physical activity interventions on children’s cognition and metacognition: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017;56(9):729–38.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Gao Z, Xiang P. Effects of exergaming based exercise on urban children’s physical activity participation and body composition. J Phys Act Health. 2014;11(5):992–8.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Pasco D, Roure C. Situational interest impacts college students’ physical activity in a design-based bike exergame. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):172–8.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Sousa CV, Hwang J, Cabrera-Perez R, Fernandez A, Misawa A, Newhook K, Lu AS. Active video games in fully immersive virtual reality elicit moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and improve cognitive performance in sedentary college students. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):164–71.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

DAI, Ai-bo QC ZHU, Xiao-long YU. Chen-chen: somatic sense interactive technology and its application in Motor Rehabilitation. Chin J Rehabil Theory Pract. 2014;20(1):41–5.

Google Scholar 

Yun. JL-z: Effects of Motion Sensing Games on children with autism. Chin J Clin Psychol. 2016;24(4):762–5.

Google Scholar 

Ye SY, Lee JE, Stodden DF, Gao Z. Impact of Exergaming on Children’s Motor Skill Competence and Health-Related Fitness: A Quasi-Experimental Study. J Clin Med 2018, 7(9).

Gao Z, Lee JE, Zeng N, Pope ZC, Zhang Y, Li X. Home-Based exergaming on Preschoolers’ Energy Expenditure, Cardiovascular Fitness, Body Mass Index and Cognitive Flexibility: a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Med. 2019;8:1745.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Xiong S, Zhang P, Gao Z. Effects of Exergaming on Preschoolers’ executive functions and perceived competence: a pilot randomized Trial. J Clin Med. 2019;8:469.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Zeng N, Lee JE, Gao Z. Effects of home-based exergaming on preschool children’s cognition, sedentary behavior, and physical activity: a randomized crossover trial. Brain Behav Immun Integr. 2023;1:100002.

Article  Google Scholar 

Maillot P, Perrot A, Hartley A. Effects of interactive physical-activity video-game training on physical and cognitive function in older adults. Psychol Aging. 2012;27(3):589–600.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Sala G, Tatldil S, Gobet F et al. Still No Evidence That Exergames Improve Cognitive Ability: A Commentary on Stanmore. (2017). Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2019, In press.

Stanmore E, Stubbs B, Vancampfort D, De Bruin ED, Firth J. The effect of active video games on cognitive functioning in clinical and non-clinical populations: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Neurosci Biobehavioral Reviews. 2017;78:34.

Article  Google Scholar 

Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, Group P. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS Med. 2009;6(7):e1000097.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Miyake A, Friedman NP, Emerson MJ, Witzki AH, Howerter A, Wager TD. The Unity and Diversity of Executive Functions and their contributions to Complex Frontal Lobe Tasks: a latent variable analysis. Cogn Psychol 2000.

Moutier S, Angeard N, Houde O. Deductive reasoning and matching-bias inhibition training: evidence from a debiasing paradigm. Think Reasoning. 2002;8(3):205–24.

Article  Google Scholar 

Medin DL. Psychology of Learning and Motivation,28: The Psychology of Learning and Motivation 56; 2015.

Xue Y, Yang Y, Huang T. Effects of chronic exercise interventions on executive function among children and adolescents: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Brit J Sport Med 2019.

Jadad AR, Moore RA, Carroll D, Jenkinson C, Reynolds DJ, Gavaghan DJ, McQuay HJ. Assessing the quality of reports of randomized clinical trials: is blinding necessary? Control Clin Trials. 1996;17(1):1–12.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Welsch L, Alliott O, Kelly P, Fawkner S, Booth J, Niven A. The effect of physical activity interventions on executive functions in children with ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ment Health Phys Act. 2021;20:12.

Article  Google Scholar 

Hedges LV, Olkin I. Statistical methods for meta-analysis. New Dir Program Evaluation. 1985;1984(24):25–42.

Article  Google Scholar 

Higgins J, Thompson SG, Decks JJ, Altman DG. Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. Brit Med J. 2003;327(7414):p557–560.

Article  Google Scholar 

Benzing V, Schmidt M. The effect of exergaming on executive functions in children with ADHD: a randomized clinical trial. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2019;29(8):1243–53.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Dovis S, Van der Oord S, Wiers RW, Prins PJ. Improving executive functioning in children with ADHD: training multiple executive functions within the context of a computer game. A randomized double-blind placebo controlled trial. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(4):e0121651.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Rafiei Milajerdi H, Sheikh M, Najafabadi MG, Saghaei B, Naghdi N, Dewey D. The Effects of Physical Activity and Exergaming on Motor Skills and executive functions in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Games Health J. 2021;10(1):33–42.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Benzing V, Chang YK, Schmidt M. Acute Physical Activity enhances executive functions in children with ADHD. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):12382.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Flynn RM, Richert RA. Cognitive, not physical, engagement in video gaming influences executive functioning. J Cogn Dev. 2018;19(1):1–20.

Article  Google Scholar 

Fronza FC, Ferrari EP, Freitas KTD, Cardoso FL. Intervention using Exergames: Effects on the executive functions of school-aged children. ETD- Educação Temática Digital. 2020;22(1):202–17.

Article  Google Scholar 

Liu ZM, Chen CQ, Fan XL, Lin CC, Ye XD. Usability and Effects of a combined physical and cognitive intervention based on active Video Games for Preschool Children. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19:7420.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Chang SH, SJJ, Yu NY. Enhancing executive functions and handwriting with a Concentrative Coordination Exercise in children with ADHD: a Randomized Clinical Trial. Percept Motor Skill. 2022;129(4):1014–35.

Article  Google Scholar 

Nekar DM, Lee DY, Hong JH, Kim JS, Kim SG, Seo YG, Yu JH. Effects of augmented reality game-based cognitive-motor training on restricted and repetitive behaviors and executive function in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Healthcare. 2022;10:1981.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Shuai L, Wang Y, Li W, Wilson A, Wang S, Chen R, Zhang J. Executive function training for Preschool Children with ADHD: a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Atten Disord. 2021;25(14):2037–47.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Demetriou EA, Lampit A, Quintana DS, Naismith SL, Song YJC, Pye JE, Hickie I, Guastella AJ. Autism spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis of executive function. Mol Psychiatry. 2018;23(5):1198–204.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Close AD. Interrelation of motor development and cognitive development and of the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. Child Dev. 2000;71(1):44–56.

Article  Google Scholar 

McMorris T, Hale BJ. Differential effects of differing intensities of acute exercise on speed and accuracy of cognition: a meta-analytical investigation. Brain Cogn. 2012;80(3):338–51.

Comments (0)

No login
gif