Space and players' number constrains the external and internal load demands in youth futsal.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of space and number of players manipulation on the external and internal load demands of youth futsal athletes. Methods: Forty-two male U17 players (age = 15.62 ± 0.58 years) from three futsal teams participated in the study. In this cross-sectional study that lasted 8-week, the player's sample practiced six futsal tasks (T1-T6) and a futsal game played under the official rules (T7). From T1-T6, two task constraints were manipulated: (i) the number of players and, (ii) the space of play. The WIMU PRO™ Ultra-Wideband (UWB) tracking system was used to measure the external and internal load during the futsal tasks. External load was quantified using kinematic and mechanical variables extracted from positional data and, the internal load was quantified using Heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Repeated measures ANOVA was used for comparison purposes. Results: In general, the results showed high external (total distance, distance 18.1-21, above 21 Km/h, and high intensity acceleration and deceleration, p < 0.001) and internal load (heart rate average and rating of perceived exertion, p < 0.001) in the tasks with low number of players and high area. In relation to the match, the tasks with small relative area per player (GK + 2 vs. 2 + GK and GK + 3 vs. 3 + GK in 20 × 20 m) promoted low external load. Conclusion: It was concluded that increasing the relative area by reducing the number of players involved in the tasks in the form of small-sided games (GK + 2 vs. 2 + GK and GK + 3 vs. 3 + GK), in relation to the futsal game (GK + 4 vs. 4 + GK), can be considered a pedagogical strategy to increase the external and internal load demands of young futsal players.

Effects of exergames on rehabilitation outcomes in patients with osteoarthritis. A systematic review.

PURPOSE: To analyze the effects of exergames on rehabilitation outcomes in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review was reported according to the PRISMA statement. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched in Pubmed, Scopus, WoS, CINAHL, and PEDro (inception to November 2023). Studies that applied non-immersive exergames and assessed physical, functional, cognitive, pain, and psychosocial outcomes were included. Comparisons were other exercise modalities and non-intervention. Methodological quality was assessed with PEDro scale, and risk of bias (RoB) was assessed with Cochrane RoB-2 tool. RESULTS: Eight studies were included (total of participants = 401). The mean PEDro score was 6.1, and seven studies had high RoB. Seven studies involved knee OA and one cervical OA. The most frequent duration for interventions was four weeks. Exergames were more effective than controls in at least one outcome in all studies. The outcomes for which exergames were most effective were functional disability, postural balance, muscle strength, proprioception, gait, range of motion, pain, quality of life, depression, and kinesiophobia. CONCLUSION: Non-immersive exergames constitute an effective strategy for optimizing several relevant outcomes in rehabilitation. However, more RCTs with high methodological quality are required to deepen the knowledge about the multidimensional effects of exergames in OA patients.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading causes of disability, involving high health costs and a public health problem.Physical exercise has recently been recognized as a first-line treatment in OA to reduce symptomatology and to improve or maintain physical functioning and quality of life.Non-immersive exergames are a safe therapeutic strategy to improve functional disability, postural balance, muscle strength, proprioception, gait performance, range of motion, and pain in OA patients.Similarly, non-immersive virtual reality strategies contribute to the improvement of depression, kinesiophobia, and quality of life in people with OA.

Comment on: influence of the time-task constraint on ocular metrics of semi-elite soccer.

This letter offers a constructive review of the article 'Influence of the time-task constraint on ocular metrics of semi-elite soccer' by Luis-del Campo et al. (2023), focusing on methodological considerations and avenues for future research enhancement. The study investigates the impact of task constraints on eye-tracking metrics among semi-elite soccer players, aiming to gauge mental workload during training sessions. While the study presents valuable insights, there are opportunities for methodological refinement. Suggestions include emphasizing sample size determination, randomization of the experimental conditions, and employing robust statistical analyses to mitigate potential biases. Moreover, future studies could benefit from integrating external load measures alongside heart rate monitoring to comprehensively assess training task variations. Despite these considerations, the study underscores the promising application of eye-tracking techniques in evaluating mental workload during soccer training, paving the way for further exploration and refinement of methodologies to enhance player performance assessment and training optimization in the field.

Serious Games as tools for food and nutrition education: a systematic review

Serious games emerge as teaching tools with a purpose beyond entertainment, aiming to improve some aspect of the teaching-learning process. Given the high prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases in the Brazilian population, this study aimed to evaluate, through a systematic literature review, the potential of serious games as a tool for Food and Nutrition Education. To this end, we searched the PubMed, Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde, and SciELO databases for articles published in the last five years in english and portuguese. A total of 63 studies were identified, of which only 10 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria established for this review. Most studies reported positive outcomes with the use of serious games as an educational tool, finding positive effects on the retention of knowledge learned about food and nutrition, and their use showed promise as an alternative to traditional teaching methodologies. Despite this, the studies had limitations regarding the duration of the interventions and the representativeness of their sample sizes, indicating the need for future studies with methodological designs that fill such gaps. This review shows that gamified approaches to nutrition education seem promising in the context of the teaching-learning process but still lack methodological standardization for interventions based on serious games to be validated as a tool for Food and Nutrition Education.

Exploring Children's Knowledge of Healthy Eating, Digital Media Use, and Caregivers' Perspectives to Inform Design and Contextual Considerations for Game-Based Interventions in Schools for Low-Income Families in Lima, Peru: Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren is increasing in Peru. Given the increased use of digital media, there is potential to develop effective digital health interventions to promote healthy eating practices at schools. This study investigates the needs of schoolchildren in relation to healthy eating and the potential role of digital media to inform the design of game-based nutritional interventions. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore schoolchildren's knowledge about healthy eating and use of and preferences for digital media to inform the future development of a serious game to promote healthy eating. METHODS: A survey was conducted in 17 schools in metropolitan Lima, Peru. The information was collected virtually with specific questions for the schoolchild and their caregiver during October 2021 and November 2021 and following the COVID-19 public health restrictions. Questions on nutritional knowledge and preferences for and use of digital media were included. In the descriptive analysis, the percentages of the variables of interest were calculated. RESULTS: We received 3937 validated responses from caregivers and schoolchildren. The schoolchildren were aged between 8 years and 15 years (2030/3937, 55.8% girls). Of the caregivers, 83% (3267/3937) were mothers, and 56.5% (2223/3937) had a secondary education. Only 5.2% (203/3937) of schoolchildren's homes did not have internet access; such access was through WiFi (2151/3937, 54.6%) and mobile internet (1314/3937, 33.4%). In addition, 95.3% (3753/3937) of schoolchildren's homes had a mobile phone; 31.3% (1233/3937) had computers. In relation to children's knowledge on healthy eating, 42.2% (1663/3937) of schoolchildren did not know the recommendation to consume at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, 46.7% (1837/3937) of schoolchildren did not identify front-of-package warning labels (FOPWLs), and 63.9% (2514/3937) did not relate the presence of an FOPWL with dietary risk. Most schoolchildren (3100/3937, 78.7%) preferred to use a mobile phone. Only 38.3% (1509/3937) indicated they preferred a computer. In addition, 47.9% (1885/3937) of caregivers considered that the internet helps in the education of schoolchildren, 82.7% (3254/3937) of caregivers gave permission for schoolchildren to play games with digital devices, and 38% (1495/3937) of caregivers considered that traditional digital games for children are inadequate. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that knowledge about nutrition in Peruvian schoolchildren has limitations. Most schoolchildren have access to the internet, with mobile phones being the device type with the greatest availability and preference for use. Caregivers' perspectives on games and schoolchildren, including a greater interest in using digital games, provide opportunities for the design and development of serious games to improve schoolchildren's nutritional knowledge in Peru. Future research is needed to explore the potential of serious games that are tailored to the needs and preferences of both schoolchildren and their caregivers in Peru in order to promote healthy eating.

Ambush strategy enhances organisms' performance in rock-paper-scissors games.

We study a five-species cyclic system wherein individuals of one species strategically adapt their movements to enhance their performance in the spatial rock-paper-scissors game. Environmental cues enable the awareness of the presence of organisms targeted for elimination in the cyclic game. If the local density of target organisms is sufficiently high, individuals move towards concentrated areas for direct attack; otherwise, they employ an ambush tactic, maximising the chances of success by targeting regions likely to be dominated by opponents. Running stochastic simulations, we discover that the ambush strategy enhances the likelihood of individual success compared to direct attacks alone, leading to uneven spatial patterns characterised by spiral waves. We compute the autocorrelation function and measure how the ambush tactic unbalances the organisms' spatial organisation by calculating the characteristic length scale of typical spatial domains of each species. We demonstrate that the threshold for local species density influences the ambush strategy's effectiveness, while the neighbourhood perception range significantly impacts decision-making accuracy. The outcomes show that long-range perception improves performance by over 60%, although there is potential interference in decision-making under high attack triggers. Understanding how organisms' adaptation their environment enhances their performance may be helpful not only for ecologists, but also for data scientists, aiming to improve artificial intelligence systems.

Framework proposal for Role-Playing Games as mental health intervention: the Critical Skills methodology.

Gamified interventions are an emerging approach in mental health treatment and prevention. Their positive effects on managing various clinical conditions stem from enhancing social skills. However, cost-effective options like Table-top Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs), which offer similar benefits to other game-based interventions, lack standardized methods for ensuring replicability. In this regard, the method outlined in this study endeavors, in a structured and guided manner drawing from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), to establish a six-step protocol for developing an intervention method utilizing TTRPGs. In all Steps, we aim to anchor ourselves in robust literature concerning social skills training (SST), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and gamification comprehensively. Thus, the method presented encompasses the objectives of SST, the strategies of CBT, and the dynamics of gamification via TTRPGs. Furthermore, we demonstrate a possible application of the method to illustrate its feasibility. Ultimately, the final method is structured, evidence-based, easily applicable, cost-effective, and thus viable. Mental health professionals seeking a structured and instructional tool for protocol development will find support in the method proposed here.

Serious games are more than just games. / Los serious games son más que juegos.

Serious games (SG) or educational games are complete games designed for a specific purpose that fulfill both their classic function of entertainment and promote the learning of specific concepts or skills and optimize health care in general. In the pediatric setting, these games combine strategies to educate about health issues, promote healthy behaviors, provide therapy or medical treatment. SG have been shown to promote adherence to treatment in children with chronic diseases, reduce anxiety in those undergoing invasive medical procedures, and stimulate the development of cognitive, emotional, or psychomotor skills. However, it is important to emphasize that the success of SG in pediatrics depends to a large extent on game quality, their design based on clear objectives, and their accurate adaptation to the individual needs and preferences of patients.

Los juegos serios, serious games (SG) o juegos formativos son juegos completos diseñados con un propósito determinado, que cumplen tanto su función clásica de entretenimiento como la de estimular el aprendizaje de conceptos o habilidades específicas y optimizar la atención médica en general. En el ámbito de la pediatría, estos juegos combinan estrategias para educar sobre temas de salud, promover comportamientos saludables, proporcionar terapia o tratamiento médico. Los SG han demostrado favorecer la adherencia al tratamiento en niños con enfermedades crónicas, reducir la ansiedad en aquellos que se enfrentan a procedimientos médicos invasivos y estimular el desarrollo de habilidades cognitivas, emocionales y/o psicomotoras. Sin embargo, es importante destacar que el éxito de los SG en pediatría depende en gran medida de la calidad de los juegos, del diseño basado en objetivos claros y de su adaptación precisa a las necesidades y preferencias individuales de los pacientes.

Juegos recreativos para la inclusión de estudiantes con discapacidad física, en las clases de Educación Física

Los juegos recreativos fomentan el desarrollo psicosocial, motor y cognitivo y promueven la igualdad de oportunidades y la participación activa de los estudiantes. Al ser utilizados en la Educación Física, intervienen en la educación y formación integral, pues facilitan en los estudiantes el desarrollo de destrezas y capacidades, promueven la inclusión, responden a la diversidad y las necesidades e incrementan la participación en este contexto. El estudio que se presenta tuvo como objetivo desarrollar un sistema de juegos recreativos para la inclusión de los estudiantes con discapacidad física, en las clases de Educación Física del sexto año de básica, de la Unidad Educativa Físico-misional "Mercedes de Jesús Molina". La investigación tuvo un enfoque mixto y se utilizó una muestra de 19 estudiantes del sexto año. Se emplearon métodos como el histórico-lógico, analítico-sintético, inductivo-deductivo y el sistémico para analizar y comprender los hechos y establecer relaciones lógicas; se emplearon métodos empíricos, como la observación, la encuesta, el método de criterio de especialistas, para comprobar la validez y fiabilidad de la propuesta. Para el procesamiento e interpretación de los datos, representados en tablas y figuras, se utilizó la estadística descriptiva, con el cálculo porcentual. La propuesta de juegos recreativos resultó ser una herramienta fundamental, al fomentar la inclusión, la integración y la convivencia, sin importar la discapacidad, ello beneficia el presente y futuro de los estudiantes en la sociedad y realza el alcance de la propuesta.

Os jogos recreativos estimulam o desenvolvimento psicossocial, motor e cognitivo e promovem a igualdade de oportunidades e a participação ativa dos alunos. Quando utilizados na Educação Física, intervêm na educação e formação integral, pois facilitam o desenvolvimento de competências e habilidades nos alunos, promovem a inclusão, respondem à diversidade e às necessidades e aumentam a participação neste contexto. O objetivo do estudo apresentado foi desenvolver um sistema de jogos lúdicos para inclusão de alunos com deficiência física nas aulas de Educação Física do sexto ano do ensino básico, da Unidade Educacional Físico-Missional "Mercedes de Jesús Molina". A pesquisa teve abordagem mista e utilizou-se uma amostra de 19 alunos do sexto ano. Métodos como histórico-lógico, analítico-sintético, indutivo-dedutivo e sistêmico foram utilizados para analisar e compreender os fatos e estabelecer relações lógicas; Foram utilizados métodos empíricos, como observação, levantamento e método de julgamento especializado, para verificar a validade e confiabilidade da proposta. Para o processamento e interpretação dos dados, representados em tabelas e figuras, utilizou-se estatística descritiva, com cálculo percentual. A proposta de jogos recreativos revelou-se uma ferramenta fundamental, promovendo a inclusão, a integração e a convivência, independentemente da deficiência, o que beneficia o presente e o futuro dos alunos na sociedade e aumenta o alcance da proposta.

Recreational games encourage psychosocial, motor and cognitive development and promote equal opportunities and active participation of students. When used in Physical Education, they intervene in comprehensive education and training, as they facilitate the development of skills and capacities in students, promote inclusion, respond to diversity and needs, as well as increase participation in this context. The study presented had as the objective to develop a system of recreational games for the inclusion of students with physical disabilities in the Physical Education classes of the sixth year of basic education, of the "Mercedes de Jesús Molina" Physical-Missional Educational Unit. The research had a mixed approach and a sample of 19 sixth year students was used. Methods such as historical-logical, analytical-synthetic, inductive-deductive and systemic were used to analyze and understand the facts and establish logical relationships; empirical methods were used, such as observation, survey, and specialist criterion method, to verify the validity and reliability of the proposal. For the processing and interpretation of the data, represented in tables and figures, descriptive statistics was used, with percentage calculation. The proposal for recreational games turned out to be a fundamental tool, promoting inclusion, integration and coexistence, regardless of disability, which benefits the present and future of students in society and enhances the scope of the proposal.

Actividades para implementar el juego pre deportivo mediante la combinación balonmano - fútbol en estudiantes universitarios

Los juegos como actividades lúdicas constituyen un elemento importante en el desarrollo del proceso pedagógico de la Educación Física; se contribuye al trabajo en colectivo, formación de valores como: la valentía, la perseverancia, la disciplina, la honestidad, el compañerismo, la organización, el respeto a las reglas, entre otros, lo cual hace que contenga un gran valor biológico, psicológico, pedagógico, evidenciados en sus actividades y en los beneficios que reporta al ser humano. No obstante, a pesar de ser este planteamiento una fortaleza en el sistema educativo de Cuba, no se potencia desde el punto de vista científico y académico el juego pre deportivo para lograr estos componentes antes mencionados. Es por ello que se proyectó como objetivo caracterizar los juegos pre deportivos que implementan los profesores del departamento de Educación Física en los dos primeros años de la formación de profesionales en la Universidad de Oriente, Cuba. Como métodos empíricos se aplica una entrevista a los profesores y una guía de observación dedicada al proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje en la Educación Física. Se intenta conocer las potencialidades y debilidades que poseen los juegos pre deportivos para mejorar las habilidades físicas y deportivas de estos estudiantes, además de los valores en los que se pueden tributar a la formación integral desde estas prácticas. La inserción de este tipo de juegos ha contado con un nivel de opinión muy positivo por parte de los educandos y los profesores.

Os jogos como atividades lúdicas constituem um elemento importante no desenvolvimento do processo pedagógico da Educação Física; Contribui para o trabalho coletivo, formação de valores como: coragem, perseverança, disciplina, honestidade, camaradagem, organização, respeito às regras, entre outros, o que faz com que contenha grande valor biológico e psicológico. atividades e nos benefícios que traz ao ser humano. No entanto, apesar desta abordagem ser um ponto forte no sistema educativo cubano, o jogo pré-desportivo não é promovido do ponto de vista científico e académico para alcançar estes componentes acima mencionados. Por isso foi projetado o objetivo de caracterizar os jogos pré-desportivos implementados pelos professores do departamento de Educação Física nos primeiros dois anos de formação profissional da Universidade de Oriente, Cuba. Como métodos empíricos, são aplicados uma entrevista com professores e um roteiro de observação dedicado ao processo de ensino-aprendizagem em Educação Física. Procura-se conhecer as potencialidades e fragilidades que os jogos pré-desportivos apresentam para melhorar as competências físicas e desportivas destes alunos, bem como os valores em que pode contribuir uma formação integral a partir destas práticas. A inserção deste tipo de jogos tem tido uma opinião muito positiva por parte de alunos e professores.

Games as recreational activities constitute an important element in the development of the pedagogical process of Physical Education; tt contributes to collective work, formation of values such as: courage, perseverance, discipline, honesty, camaraderie, organization, respect for the rules, among others, which makes it contain great biological psychological and pedagogical value evidenced in its activities and in the benefits it brings to human beings. However, despite this approach being a strength in the Cuban educational system, the pre-sports game is not promoted from a scientific and academic point of view to achieve these aforementioned components. That is why the objective was projected to characterize the pre-sports games implemented by the teachers of the Physical Education department in the first two years of professional training at the Universidad de Oriente, Cuba. As empirical methods, an interview with teachers and an observation guide dedicated to the teaching-learning process in Physical Education are applied. An attempt is made to know the potential and weaknesses that pre-sports games have to improve the physical and sports skills of these students, in addition to the values in which comprehensive training can be contributed from these practices. The insertion of this type of games has had a very positive level of opinion from students and teachers.

Effects of Modified Invasion Games on Motor Competence and Self-Assessed Physical Condition in Elementary School Students in the Physical Education Classroom.

Modified invasion games promote the development of real and perceived motor competence. Children with higher motor competence are more likely to participate in physical activity practice and to remain in it, both in adolescence and adulthood. (1) Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of modified invasion games on the real motor competence and self-assessment of the physical condition fifth-grade students from a private school in Viña del Mar, Chile. (2) Methods: 40 girls and boys with an average age of 11.47 years (SD = 0.554) participated in this study during a 12-week intervention. The MOBAK 5-6 battery was used to assess actual motor competence, the SEMOK questionnaire was used to determine perceived motor competence, the International Fitness Scale (IFIS) self-assessment questionnaire was used to assess perceived physical fitness, and the weight/size ratio was used to determine BMI. A Friedman's nonparametric ANOVA analysis was applied to determine the effect of the intervention, in addition to an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to identify the influence of the covariates on motor competence. (3) Results: No statistically significant differences were established between weight, BMI, and waist circumference. There was a statistically significant difference after the intervention in the actual motor competence of object control (p = 0.005) and perceived motor competence of object control (p ≤ 0.001) (4) Conclusions: An intervention based on modified invasion games is effective for the improvement of actual and perceived motor competence of object control. It was not possible to identify a positive effect on the self-assessment of muscle strength after the intervention.

Contemporary practices of Portuguese and Brazilian soccer coaches in designing and applying small-sided games.

This descriptive study aimed to investigate the current practices of Portuguese and Brazilian soccer coaches in the design and implementation of small-sided games (SSGs) in soccer. A total of 187 male coaches participated in the online survey, consisting of 82 Portuguese and 105 Brazilian individuals. These coaches held various positions within the technical staff, with 63 serving as head coaches, 38 as assistant coaches, 38 as physical trainers, and 48 in other roles related to the technical staff. Additionally, the participants represented both youth (n = 102) and adult competitive levels (n = 59), along with some who were not currently associated with a specific group. The survey consisted of 32 questions divided into three main sections: (i) the timing of SSG application, (ii) the methods used for applying SSGs, and (iii) the reasons for applying SSGs. The Chi-square test revealed a statistically significant association between nationality and the frequency of SSGs used in training sessions during the pre-season (p = 0.039) and in-season (p < 0.001). Moreover, significant association between nationality and the time allocated to employing SSGs for targeting aerobic training (p < 0.001) was found. There was a significant association between nationality and the weekly frequency of SSGs use for targeting sprint training (p = 0.019). The Chi-square test identified significant associations between nationality and the use of SSGs for targeting technical training (p = 0.002), as well as for tactical training (p = 0.002). In summary, this study underscores that SSGs are primarily employed to enhance aerobic fitness, change of direction, technical skills, and tactical behaviors. Coaches generally favor employing SSGs two to three times a week, with typical sessions lasting between 16 to 30 minutes. Notably, the major discrepancies between nationalities lie in the importance assigned to the use of SSGs. However, in practice, the formats and objectives for implementing SSGs remain relatively similar.

Controlling systemic corruption through group size and salary dispersion of public servants.

We investigate an agent-based model for the emergence of corruption in public contracts. There are two types of agents: business people and public servants. Both business people and public servants can adopt two strategies: corrupt or honest behavior. Interactions between business people and public servants take place through defined payoff rules. Either type of agent can switch between corrupt or honest strategies by comparing their payoffs after interacting. We measure the level of corruption in the system by the fractions of corrupt and honest agents for asymptotic times. We study the effects of the group size of the interacting agents, the dispersion with respect to the average salary of the public servants, and a parameter representing the institutional control of corruption. We characterize the fractions of honest and corrupt agents as functions of these variables. We construct phase diagrams for the level of corruption in the system in terms of these variables, where three collective states can be distinguished: i) a phase where corruption dominates; ii) a phase where corruption remains in less than 50% of the agents; and iii) a phase where corruption disappears. Our results indicate that a combination of large group sizes of interacting servants and business people and small dispersion of the salaries of public servants, contributes to the decrease of systemic corruption in public contracts.

Design of a video game for assessment of executive functions in deaf and hearing children.

This study investigates the effectiveness of a computerized cognitive test battery embedded within a video game to assess executive functions (EF) in deaf and hearing children. We evaluated a diverse cohort of 290 elementary school students aged 5 to 13 years (mean age = 8.86, SD = 1.96), comprising 74 sign language users, 14 Spanish-speaking deaf participants, 23 children with mixed communication methods, and 179 typically hearing individuals. Our statistical analysis focused on item discrimination, reliability, and criterion validation of the game-based assessments. The results indicated high reliability and effective discrimination of EF across the game's three primary stages. External validation was conducted using the Matrices Test, educational attainment, and age as variables. A significant positive correlation (r = 0.377, p < 0.001) was observed between the Matrices Test scores and game-based achievement scores. Furthermore, linear regression analysis revealed education (Standardized Beta = 0.339) and age (Standardized Beta = 0.179) as significant predictors of performance in these scores. This study underscores the value of integrating computerized cognitive assessments within a video game environment for comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations, highlighting its potential in diverse child populations.

Virtual Reality and Serious Videogame-Based Instruments for Assessing Spatial Navigation in Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties.

Over the past decade, research using virtual reality and serious game-based instruments for assessing spatial navigation and spatial memory in at-risk and AD populations has risen. We systematically reviewed the literature since 2012 to identify and evaluate the methodological quality and risk of bias in the analyses of the psychometric properties of VRSG-based instruments. The search was conducted primarily in July-December 2022 and updated in November 2023 in eight major databases. The quality of instrument development and study design were analyzed in all studies. Measurement properties were defined and analyzed according to COSMIN guidelines. A total of 1078 unique records were screened, and following selection criteria, thirty-seven studies were analyzed. From these studies, 30 instruments were identified. Construct and criterion validity were the most reported measurement properties, while structural validity and internal consistency evidence were the least reported. Nineteen studies were deemed very good in construct validity, whereas 11 studies reporting diagnostic accuracy were deemed very good in quality. Limitations regarding theoretical framework and research design requirements were found in most of the studies. VRSG-based instruments are valuable additions to the current diagnostic toolkit for AD. Further research is required to establish the psychometric performance and clinical utility of VRSG-based instruments, particularly the instrument development, content validity, and diagnostic accuracy for preclinical AD screening scenarios. This review provides a straightforward synthesis of the state of the art of VRSG-based instruments and suggests future directions for research.

Health Care Professional-Supported Co-Design of a Mime Therapy-Based Serious Game for Facial Rehabilitation.

This research letter presents the co-design process for RG4Face, a mime therapy-based serious game that uses computer vision for human facial movement recognition and estimation to help health care professionals and patients in the facial rehabilitation process.

Post-stroke functional assessments based on rehabilitation games and their correlation with clinical scales: A scoping review.

Considering that stroke is one of the main causes of adult impairment and the growing interest in Virtual Reality (VR) as a potential assessment and treatment tool for the rehabilitation of stroke patients, a scoping review was conducted to check whether user's motion data obtained from VR games and simulations can be clinically valid. This was done by reviewing studies on parameters for assessing the functional skills and rehabilitation progress using data from VR games or simulations. Then, identifying the most widely used and validated parameters for the quantification of motor ability in a virtual environment and suggesting challenges for future research. For the validation of the parameters obtained from the VR software, only the studies that correlated them with traditional physiotherapy scales were considered. In December 2022, a search of the following databases was performed: IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, PubMed and PEDro. The selection criteria were studies published in English during the past 10 years, with upper-limb based interaction and tested on more than one stroke patient. A total of 14 were included in the PRISMA scoping review. Favorable results were found in 12 of the 14 studies, which reported positive or strongly positive correlations with clinical scales, even when diverse variables were used. In-depth research using a larger sample size is needed. The results demonstrate that data collected while playing a virtual serious game has the potential to be clinically valid, after conducting high-quality supportive studies with controlled variables, potentially helping the practice in terms of time and resources.

Preventing cognitive decline via digital inclusion and virtual game management: an intervention study with older adults in the community.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of cognitive stimulation via digital inclusion and the practice of video games on the cognition of the older population. METHOD: This is a randomized controlled intervention study, nested in a population cohort study. Based on the application of the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) test, individuals aged 60 years or older with scores 0 and 0.5 were included and randomly allocated in the Intervention Group (IG) or Control Group (CG). Initially, 160 participants met the selection criteria and underwent neuropsychological evaluation via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), applied before and after intervention. The IG (n = 62) participated in computer-based intervention once a week for one-and-a-half hours, for 4 months. The CG (n = 47) participated in the mindfulness workshops held in the same period. RESULTS: The digital literacy intervention group averaged 2.6 points more in the MoCA after 4 months. The change in the final MoCA decreased in 0.46 points at each unit in the basal MoCA. Individuals with average schooling had an increase of 0.93 points in the change of the MoCA in relation to individuals with low or high schooling. CONCLUSION: Digital inclusion combined with the practice of video games has the potential to improve the cognition of the older population.