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Wang P, Fang Y, Qi JY, Li HJ. FISHERMAN: A Serious Game for Executive Function Assessment of Older Adults. Assessment 2022:10731911221105648. [PMID: 35762827 DOI: 10.1177/10731911221105648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) are essential for daily living activities but decline with age. Convenient assessment and timely intervention have particular significance for older adults. However, the traditional laboratory tasks of EFs are typically monotonous and inconvenient. The current study aimed to develop an interesting and convenient supplementary tool to assess EFs for older adults. According to the theory of EFs, we developed a serious game, FISHERMAN, to assess EFs. The game includes three subgames, Cautious Fisherman, Agile Fisherman, and Wise Fisherman, targeting core components of inhibition, shifting, and working memory, respectively. The current study aims to verify the reliability and validity of the game. One hundred and eight healthy older adults participated in this study and were tested through the FISHERMAN game and a battery of cognitive tests. The results show that the FISHERMAN game has high internal consistency reliability and good construct validity as well as criterion-related validity, suggesting that the game design is valid and can be used in EFs assessment for older adults. Future studies are warranted to establish the norm of the FISHERMAN game in older adults and investigate whether the FISHERMAN game can be generalized to other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Yi Qi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui-Jie Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Adcock M, Fankhauser M, Post J, Lutz K, Zizlsperger L, Luft AR, Guimarães V, Schättin A, de Bruin ED. Effects of an In-home Multicomponent Exergame Training on Physical Functions, Cognition, and Brain Volume of Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Front Med (Lausanne) 2020; 6:321. [PMID: 32047751 PMCID: PMC6997483 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2019.00321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with a decline in physical functions, cognition and brain structure. Considering that human life is based on an inseparable physical-cognitive interplay, combined physical-cognitive training through exergames is a promising approach to counteract age-related impairments. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of an in-home multicomponent exergame training on [i] physical and cognitive functions and [ii] brain volume of older adults compared to a usual care control group. Thirty-seven healthy and independently living older adults aged 65 years and older were randomly assigned to an intervention (exergame training) or a control (usual care) group. Over 16 weeks, the participants of the intervention group absolved three home-based exergame sessions per week (à 30–40 min) including Tai Chi-inspired exercises, dancing and step-based cognitive games. The control participants continued with their normal daily living. Pre- and post-measurements included assessments of physical (gait parameters, functional muscle strength, balance, aerobic endurance) and cognitive (processing speed, short-term attention span, working memory, inhibition, mental flexibility) functions. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was conducted to assess brain volume. Thirty-one participants (mean age = 73.9 ± 6.4 years, range = 65–90 years, 16 female) completed the study. Inhibition and working memory significantly improved post-intervention in favor of the intervention group [inhibition: F(1) = 2.537, p = 0.046, np2 = 0.11, working memory: F(1) = 5.872, p = 0.015, np2 = 0.02]. Two measures of short-term attentional span showed improvements after training in favor of the control group [F(1) = 4.309, p = 0.038, np2 = 0.03, F(1) = 8.504, p = 0.004, np2 = 0.04]. No significant training effects were evident for physical functions or brain volume. Both groups exhibited a significant decrease in gray matter volume of frontal areas and the hippocampus over time. The findings indicate a positive influence of exergame training on executive functioning. No improvements in physical functions or brain volume were evident in this study. Better adapted individualized training challenge and a longer training period are suggested. Further studies are needed that assess training-related structural brain plasticity and its effect on performance, daily life functioning and healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Adcock
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mélanie Fankhauser
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Post
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kai Lutz
- Cereneo, Center for Neurology and Rehabilitation, Vitznau, Switzerland
| | | | - Andreas R Luft
- Cereneo, Center for Neurology and Rehabilitation, Vitznau, Switzerland.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Alexandra Schättin
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eling D de Bruin
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Machado A, Barroso J, Molina Y, Nieto A, Díaz-Flores L, Westman E, Ferreira D. Proposal for a hierarchical, multidimensional, and multivariate approach to investigate cognitive aging. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 71:179-188. [PMID: 30149289 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive aging is highly complex. We applied a data-driven statistical method to investigate aging from a hierarchical, multidimensional, and multivariate approach. Orthogonal partial least squares to latent structures and hierarchical models were applied for the first time in a study of cognitive aging. The association between age and a total of 316 demographic, clinical, cognitive, and neuroimaging measures was simultaneously analyzed in 460 cognitively normal individuals (35-85 years). Age showed a strong association with brain structure, especially with cortical thickness in frontal and parietal association regions. Age also showed a fairly strong association with cognition. Although a strong association of age with executive functions and processing speed was captured as expected, the association of age with visual memory was stronger. Clinical measures were less strongly associated with age. Hierarchical and correlation analyses further showed these associations in a neuroimaging-cognitive-clinical order of importance. We conclude that orthogonal partial least square and hierarchical models are a promising approach to better understand the complexity in cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Machado
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - José Barroso
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Yaiza Molina
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Department of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa Canarias, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Antonieta Nieto
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Lucio Díaz-Flores
- Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Eric Westman
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel Ferreira
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
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