Factors for optimizing intervention programs for cognition in older adults: the value of exergames

Alexandra Perrot (1) , Pauline Maillot (2, 3)

1 CIAMS - Complexité, Innovation, Activités Motrices et Sportives
2 I3SP - URP3625 - Institut des Sciences du Sport-Santé de Paris
3 UPCité - Université Paris Cité

This review presents factors that could optimize the effectiveness of an intervention program on cognitive health in older adults. Combined, multi-dimensional and interactive programs appear to be relevant. On one hand, for the characteristics to be implemented in the physical dimension of a program, multimodal interventions stimulating the aerobic pathway and muscle strengthening during the solicitation of gross motor activities, seem to be interesting. On the other hand, regarding the cognitive dimension of a program, complex and variable cognitive stimuli appear to hold the greatest promise for generating cognitive benefits and the broadest transfers to untrained tasks. The field of video games also brings interesting enrichment through the gamification of situations and the feeling of immersion. However, some gray areas remain to be clarified, notably the ideal response dose, the balance between physical and cognitive solicitation and the programs' customization.

Domaines: Sciences cognitives

Alexandra Perrot, Pauline Maillot. Factors for optimizing intervention programs for cognition in older adults: the value of exergames. npj Aging and Mechanisms of Disease, 2023, 9 (1), pp.4. ⟨10.1038/s41514-023-00103-7⟩. ⟨hal-04055918⟩