The effects of exergaming on executive functions in children with ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

IF 2.7 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL
Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine Pub Date : 2026-01-16 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI:10.1080/21642850.2026.2614157
Febryansah Gilang Aris Pradana, Rakhmat Ari Wibowo, Graham Baker
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose: A growing number of studies have investigated the effectiveness of exergaming on the executive functions (EFs) in children with ADHD. Whilst some studies have shown beneficial effects, other studies provide mixed effects and there has yet to be a focused synthesis of the literature on this topic.

Methods: A systematic review (PROSPERO; CRD42024549395) was conducted following PRISMA guidance, drawing from eligible studies across eleven databases. Studies were screened based on eligibility criteria by two independent reviewers. Risk of bias (Cochrane ROB2) and certainty of evidence (GRADE criteria) were independently assessed by two reviewers. The Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) using vote counting based on direction of effect was conducted on studies with incomplete data. Separate meta-analyses were performed for each EF process using random-effect meta-analysis.

Results: A total of 2,263 studies were identified. After removing duplicates and non-RCTs automatically, 1,546 studies were screened by title and abstract resulting in 35 full texts being retained for detailed screening with 4 studies meeting all inclusion criteria. Two studies in the SWiM showed beneficial effects on overall EFs. Meta-analyses on two studies found exergaming was beneficial for inhibition (SMD = -5.07; 95%-CI [-14.08, 3.95]), working memory (SMD = -0.31; 95%-CI [-0.88, 0.26]), and cognitive flexibility (SMD = -0.84; 95%-CI [-1.50, -0.19]). The mean drop-out rate was 13.82% indicating high adherence. Implementation data identified that a console, game license, a room, television, and supervision from trainers/parents are needed to implement exergaming across different settings and contexts.

Conclusion: The results indicate that although the direction of effects shows positive trends, the evidence remains insufficient and imprecise to determine the clear conclusion whether exergaming can increase EFs and adherence to PA in children with ADHD. Future research with high-quality measurement of the outcome and completely reporting outcome data is necessary to strengthen the evidence and to inform the implementation.

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游戏对多动症儿童执行功能的影响:随机对照试验的系统回顾和荟萃分析。
目的:越来越多的研究探讨了运动对ADHD儿童执行功能的影响。虽然一些研究显示了有益的效果,但其他研究提供了混合效果,并且尚未对该主题的文献进行集中综合。方法:根据PRISMA指南进行系统评价(PROSPERO; CRD42024549395),从11个数据库中选取符合条件的研究。研究是由两位独立的审稿人根据合格标准进行筛选的。偏倚风险(Cochrane ROB2)和证据确定性(GRADE标准)由两位评论者独立评估。采用基于效应方向的计票方法对数据不完整的研究进行无meta分析的综合(SWiM)。采用随机效应meta分析对每个EF过程进行单独的meta分析。结果:共确定了2263项研究。自动剔除重复和非随机对照试验后,1546项研究按标题和摘要筛选,结果保留35篇全文进行详细筛选,其中4项研究符合所有纳入标准。《游泳》杂志的两项研究显示,它对整体EFs有有益的影响。两项研究的meta分析发现,游戏对抑制(SMD = -5.07; 95%-CI[-14.08, 3.95])、工作记忆(SMD = -0.31; 95%-CI[-0.88, 0.26])和认知灵活性(SMD = -0.84; 95%-CI[-1.50, -0.19])有益。平均退出率为13.82%,表明依从性高。执行数据表明,需要主机、游戏许可证、房间、电视以及教练/家长的监督才能在不同的环境和环境中执行游戏。结论:结果表明,虽然效果的方向呈现出积极的趋势,但证据仍然不足且不精确,无法确定运动是否可以增加ADHD儿童的ef和对PA的依从性。未来有必要进行高质量的结果测量和完整报告结果数据的研究,以加强证据并为实施提供信息。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
3.50
自引率
3.70%
发文量
57
审稿时长
24 weeks
期刊介绍: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine: an Open Access Journal (HPBM) publishes theoretical and empirical contributions on all aspects of research and practice into psychosocial, behavioral and biomedical aspects of health. HPBM publishes international, interdisciplinary research with diverse methodological approaches on: Assessment and diagnosis Narratives, experiences and discourses of health and illness Treatment processes and recovery Health cognitions and behaviors at population and individual levels Psychosocial an behavioral prevention interventions Psychosocial determinants and consequences of behavior Social and cultural contexts of health and illness, health disparities Health, illness and medicine Application of advanced information and communication technology.
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