Active video games may help thinking, but most of 17 trials had weak designs

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   About 926 people took part in 17 trials, with an average age of 69 and about half of them men. Nine trials studied healthy older adults, and the other eight studied people with illnesses, teenagers or a mix.

2. 02

   What they did

   The active-game groups played video games that made them move, about three times a week for about 10 weeks. The other groups waited, got usual care, or did things like exercise, reading or memory training.

3. 03

   What happened

   Compared with other groups, active video games gave a moderate gain in thinking. They also improved attention and skills such as self-control, but not memory for words or places. The overall gain showed in both healthy older adults and people with illnesses.

What the review found

1. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 17 trials, active video games improved overall thinking more than the other groups did.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 17 studies with 926 people · vs groups that waited, got usual care or did other activities · ⚠ most studies had serious flaws; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

2. HelpedFocus

   Across 11 trials, active video games improved scores on attention tests more than the other groups did.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 11 studies with 688 people · vs groups that waited, got usual care or did other activities · ⚠ most studies had serious flaws; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

3. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 8 trials, active video games helped thinking more than exercise alone did.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 8 studies with 632 people · vs people who only exercised, such as cycling · ⚠ most studies had serious flaws; the studies disagreed a lot; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

4. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 13 trials, active video games slightly helped self-control and switching between tasks.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 13 studies with 735 people · vs groups that waited, got usual care or did other activities · ⚠ most studies had serious flaws; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

Source