Effects of Cooperative, Competitive, and Solitary Exergames on Cognition and Anxiety Levels in Children with Developmental Disabilities.

Objective: Exergames are playing an important role in person-centered therapy, health care services, and in the rehabilitation field. This study aimed to compare the effects of cooperative, competitive, and solitary exergames on cognition and anxiety levels in children with developmental disabilities (DD). Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial pretest-posttest including 36 children with DD who were allocated to the cooperative exergame group (CGG), competitive exergame group (CmGG), and solitary exergame group (SGG). The exergame program was performed two times a week for 8 weeks and the outcome measurements were conducted before and after the program. A paired sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the changes within and between the groups. Results: The result indicated a significant improvement in memory, attention, and visual perception in all groups; the CGG and CmGG showed a high increase in attention compared with the SGG. However, only the CGG presented a significant improvement in the language subscale. In terms of anxiety, only the CGG presented substantial improvements in all anxiety subscales. The CmGG showed improvement in social phobia and the SGG in physical injury fears, social phobia, and general anxiety fears. Conclusion: The findings suggest that cooperative and competitive exergames may be used to effectively improve cognitive functions; cooperative exergames can be applied as the most effective method to reduce anxiety compared with the other game types for children with DD.

Effects of Augmented Reality-Based Dual-Task Program on Physical Ability by Cognitive Stage with Developmental Disabilities.

People diagnosed with developmental disabilities are less likely to participate in physical activities even if they are provided opportunities. This study aimed to examine the effects of dual-task exercise-based augmented reality (AR) on muscle strength, muscle endurance, balance ability, and flexibility among people with developmental disabilities. Twenty-seven patients with developmental disabilities were included in the study. The intervention was based on an AR-based rehabilitation program and lasted for 8 weeks. The results showed a statistically significant improvement in muscle strength, muscle endurance, balance ability, and flexibility after the intervention (p < 0.05). The AR-based dual-task program increased interest and motivation in the high-cognitive-stage groups, while less interest and motivation were observed in the low-cognitive-stage groups. Our results suggest that an AR-based dual-task program can be an effective method to improve physical ability in patients with high cognitive levels.

Improvements of Physical Activity Performance and Motivation in Adult Men through Augmented Reality Approach: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a global impact, increasing the prevalence of physical inactivity, which is mostly due to the lockdown and social distancing measures adopted during the pandemic. Hence, this study aimed to compare the efficacy of augmented reality-based training on physical activity performance and motivation in healthy adults to mirror visual feedback training and conventional physical therapy. This study used the randomized control trial pretest-posttest research design. Forty-eight healthy men aged 18-35 years who were engaged in recreational physical activities were enrolled and randomly divided into four groups: augmented reality-based training reality (ART), mirror visual feedback training (MVFT), therapist-based training (TBT), and control group. The total training program was held for four weeks. The isokinetic dynamometer, sit-and-reach test, Y balance test, and the intrinsic motivation inventory-22 were used to measure the outcomes before and after the intervention. Paired sample t-test was used to compare the changes before and after the intervention within groups, while the one-way ANOVA was used for the comparison between the groups. Results of the study showed that, after four weeks of intervention, balance, muscle strength, and muscle endurance in all groups significantly improved except for the control group. The ART group showed the highest increase in muscle strength, muscle endurance, and balance compared to the other groups. The motivation level increased in all three feedback groups and was observed in the following order: ART group > MVFT group > TBT group > control group. This study highlighted the most effective method that may be applied for home training during and after this period of the pandemic. The findings revealed that training while receiving real-time feedback via AR devices improves both physical performance and motivation. Augmented reality-based training can be used as an effective training option for improving physical activity and motivation and can be suggested for home training programs.

The diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic biopsy for gastric dysplasia.

PURPOSE: There is controversy over the treatment for low grade dysplasia, while resection is recommended for high grade dysplasia. But the concordance of the grade of dysplasia between pre- and post-resection is low because of sampling errors with endoscopic biopsy. We attempted to establish a clearer direction for the treatment of dysplasia by clarifying the discrepancy between the pre- and post-resection diagnoses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 126 patients who had undergone resection with the diagnosis of dysplasia on biopsy at Bundang CHA Hospital from 1999 to 2009. RESULTS: Seventy patients were diagnosed with low grade dysplasia and 56 patients were diagnosed with high grade dysplasia. Among the 33 patients who received gastrectomy with lymph node dissection, 30 patients were revealed to have invasive cancers and 4 patients showed lymph node metastasis. Discordance between the diagnoses from biopsy and resection occurred in 55 patients (44%). There was no correlation on the comparative analysis between the size, location or gross type of lesion and the grade of dysplasia. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of discordance between the diagnoses of endoscopic biopsy and the post resection pathologic report was as high as 44%. Endoscopic mucosal resection was not sufficient for some patients who were diagnosed with dysplasia on biopsy due to the presence of lymph node metastasis. It is necessary to be prudent when determining the follow-up and treatment based solely on the result of the biopsy.