Effects of technology-enhanced physical activity on brain and mental health in youth: An umbrella review of meta-analyses.

IF 3.4 4区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

World Journal of Psychiatry Pub Date : 2025-09-19 DOI:10.5498/wjp.v15.i9.108847

Zi-Qi Wang, Si-Yu Hong, Zi-Xuan Jia, Yi Zhang, Sha-Sha Ma, Xian-Gui Bu, Wen-Jun Wang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a key contributor to the neurocognitive and psychological development of children and adolescents. With the rapid integration of digital technologies in educational and recreational contexts, technology-enhanced PA (TEPA) interventions have emerged as promising tools for promoting mental and cognitive health. However, the effectiveness of various TEPA modalities-such as virtual reality (VR), mobile applications, and biofeedback systems-remains unclear. Prior findings are fragmented across systematic reviews with inconsistent methodologies. This umbrella review was conducted to synthesize current evidence and evaluate whether specific TEPA modalities yield differential benefits. We hypothesized that TEPA interventions with immersive and self-regulatory features provide greater enhancements in executive function (EF), cognitive function (CF), and mental health (MH) than passive or minimally interactive formats.

Aim: To determine the effects of TEPA interventions and modality-specific characteristics on EF, CF, and MH outcomes in children and adolescents.

Methods: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. Five databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, EBSCOhost, and Cochrane Library) were searched up to March 2025. Eligible reviews included participants aged ≤ 18 years, assessed TEPA interventions, and reported EF, CF, or MH outcomes. Methodological quality was assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2. Data synthesis was stratified by intervention modality, and heterogeneity was evaluated using the I² statistic.

Results: A total of 11 systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included. Interventions using VR (2/2), game-based formats (2/2), biofeedback (2/2), and multicomponent programs (1/1) showed consistent evidence of improvements in EF and MH (e.g., EF: 6.92 ± 3.86 vs 3.61 ± 1.67, P < 0.001). App-based interventions (3/3) demonstrated mixed or modest effects, while augmented reality-based formats showed limited efficacy. MH outcomes were most frequently improved (9/11 reviews), followed by EF (6/11 reviews) and CF (5/11 reviews). Heterogeneity ranged from moderate to high (I² = 42%-78%) across modalities.

Conclusion: TEPA significantly improves MH and selectively enhances executive and CF in youth. Immersive, interactive, and biofeedback-driven modalities are particularly effective.

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科技增强的身体活动对青少年大脑和心理健康的影响：荟萃分析的综合回顾

背景：体育活动（PA）是儿童和青少年神经认知和心理发展的关键因素。随着数字技术在教育和娱乐环境中的快速整合，技术增强的PA （TEPA）干预措施已成为促进心理和认知健康的有前途的工具。然而，各种TEPA模式（如虚拟现实（VR）、移动应用程序和生物反馈系统）的有效性仍不清楚。先前的研究结果在方法不一致的系统综述中支离破碎。本综述旨在综合现有证据并评估特定的TEPA模式是否能产生不同的效益。我们假设具有沉浸式和自我调节特征的TEPA干预比被动或最低限度互动形式在执行功能（EF）、认知功能（CF）和心理健康（MH）方面提供更大的增强。目的：确定TEPA干预措施和模式特异性特征对儿童和青少年EF、CF和MH结局的影响。方法：根据2020年系统评价和荟萃分析指南的首选报告项目，对系统评价和荟萃分析进行综合评价。5个数据库（PubMed, Web of Science， EMBASE， EBSCOhost和Cochrane Library）被检索到2025年3月。符合条件的综述包括年龄≤18岁的参与者，评估了TEPA干预措施，并报告了EF、CF或MH结果。使用评估系统评价的测量工具评估方法学质量2。通过干预方式对数据综合进行分层，并使用I²统计量评估异质性。结果：共纳入了11项系统综述和荟萃分析。使用VR（2/2）、基于游戏的格式（2/2）、生物反馈（2/2）和多组分程序（1/1）的干预显示出EF和MH改善的一致证据（例如，EF: 6.92±3.86 vs 3.61±1.67,P < 0.001）。基于应用程序的干预措施（3/3）显示出混合或中等效果，而基于增强现实的干预措施显示出有限的效果。MH结果最常得到改善（9/11评价），其次是EF（6/11评价）和CF（5/11评价）。不同模式的异质性从中等到高度不等（I²= 42%-78%）。结论：TEPA可显著改善青少年MH，选择性提高执行力和CF。沉浸式、互动性和生物反馈驱动的模式尤其有效。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

World Journal of Psychiatry PSYCHIATRY-

自引率

6.50%

发文量

110

期刊介绍： The World Journal of Psychiatry (WJP) is a high-quality, peer reviewed, open-access journal. The primary task of WJP is to rapidly publish high-quality original articles, reviews, editorials, and case reports in the field of psychiatry. In order to promote productive academic communication, the peer review process for the WJP is transparent; to this end, all published manuscripts are accompanied by the anonymized reviewers’ comments as well as the authors’ responses. The primary aims of the WJP are to improve diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive modalities and the skills of clinicians and to guide clinical practice in psychiatry.