JMIR Serious Games最新文献

{"title":"A Smartphone-Gamified Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Augmented With Biofeedback for Ailurophobia: Development and Evaluation Study.","authors":"Ali Khaleghi, Abbas Narimani, Zahra Aghaei, Anahita Khorrami Banaraki, Peyman Hassani-Abharian","doi":"10.2196/34535","DOIUrl":"10.2196/34535","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To the best of our knowledge, no specialized research has been conducted to address ailurophobia (fear of cats) in Iran or globally. This has driven our project, along with the prevalence of ailurophobia and the absence of a gamified virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) that incorporates affordable and easily accessible biofeedback (BF) tools. We hypothesize that a gamified VRET augmented with BF will yield more positive effects than a similar device lacking BF.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study primarily focuses on the development and preliminary evaluation of a smartphone-gamified VRET integrated with BF, targeting animal phobia, with a specific case study on ailurophobia. The secondary objectives are using affordable and readily available BF found in devices such as smart bands and smartwatches and creating a mobile virtual reality gamified app to improve patients' adherence to treatments while simultaneously enhancing the app's accessibility, scalability, and outreach.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Evaluations encompassed 3 methods. First, we identified the tool's potential positive effects on phobia interventions, exploring 4 effects: intrinsic motivation, simulation of fearful situations, management of stressful circumstances without therapists' presence and mitigation of catastrophic thoughts, and preliminary effects on ailurophobia treatment. Participants were divided into BF and non-BF groups. Second, we gathered user preferences and opinions about the treatment. Third, we conducted heuristic evaluations using 44 heuristics from existing system usability scales assessing user interfaces, virtual reality platforms, and video games' playability. To interpret the data, mean scores; ANOVA, single factor; and ANOVA, 2-factor with replication were used. A total of 29 individuals were identified, of which 10 met the eligibility criteria or were accessible.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The smartphone-gamified VRET augmented with BF exhibited better results on the identified effects compared with the non-BF version and contributed to normalizing encounters with cats. Moreover, 41 of the 44 heuristics achieved a percentage above 62%, indicating its potential as a therapeutic product and its ability to enhance patient adherence to treatments. Patient preferences on the treatment and its strengths and weaknesses were provided for further improvement.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The tool has the potential to evolve into a comprehensive solution by incorporating various types of cats and their behaviors, simulating environments in which they are commonly found, and enhancing its appeal through an increased sense of adventure without inducing unrealistic fears. By adapting fear elements, the game can be tailored to treat various animal phobias. Phobia-focused games should avoid action and combat scenarios to prevent reinforcement of fear responses. After rigorous evaluation, further exploration","PeriodicalId":14795,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Serious Games","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10955409/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140039437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digital Gamification Tools to Enhance Vaccine Uptake: Scoping Review.","authors":"Hina Hakim, S Michelle Driedger, Dominique Gagnon, Julien Chevrier, Geneviève Roch, Eve Dubé, Holly O Witteman","doi":"10.2196/47257","DOIUrl":"10.2196/47257","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gamification has been used successfully to promote various desired health behaviors. Previous studies have used gamification to achieve desired health behaviors or facilitate their learning about health.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>In this scoping review, we aimed to describe digital gamified tools that have been implemented or evaluated across various populations to encourage vaccination, as well as any reported effects of identified tools.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, the Web of Science Core Collection, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Academic Search Premier, PsycInfo, Global Health, and ERIC for peer-reviewed papers describing digital gamified tools with or without evaluations. We also conducted web searches with Google to identify digital gamified tools lacking associated publications. We consulted 12 experts in the field of gamification and health behavior to identify any papers or tools we might have missed. We extracted data about the target population of the tools, the interventions themselves (eg, type of digital gamified tool platform, type of disease/vaccine, type and design of study), and any effects of evaluated tools, and we synthesized data narratively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 1402 records, we included 28 (2%) peer-reviewed papers and 10 digital gamified tools lacking associated publications. The experts added 1 digital gamified tool that met the inclusion criteria. Our final data set therefore included 28 peer-reviewed papers and 11 digital gamified tools. Of the 28 peer-reviewed papers, 7 (25%) explained the development of the tool, 16 (57%) described evaluation, and 2 (7%) reported both development and evaluation of the tool. The 28 peer-reviewed papers reported on 25 different tools. Of these 25 digital gamified tools, 11 (44%) were web-based tools, 8 (32%) mobile (native mobile or mobile-enabled web) apps, and 6 (24%) virtual reality tools. Overall, tools that were evaluated showed increases in knowledge and intentions to receive vaccines, mixed effects on attitudes, and positive effects on beliefs. We did not observe discernible advantages of one type of digital gamified tool (web based, mobile, virtual reality) over the others. However, a few studies were randomized controlled trials, and publication bias may have led to such positive effects having a higher likelihood of appearing in the peer-reviewed literature.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Digital gamified tools appear to have potential for improving vaccine uptake by fostering positive beliefs and increasing vaccine-related knowledge and intentions. Encouraging comparative studies of different features or different types of digital gamified tools could advance the field by identifying features or types of tools that yield more positive effects across populations and contexts. Further work in this area should seek","PeriodicalId":14795,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Serious Games","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10906656/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139990122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the Importance of Content Versus Design for Successful Crowdfunding of Health Education Games: Online Survey Study.","authors":"Hong Huang, Han Yu, Wanwan Li","doi":"10.2196/39587","DOIUrl":"10.2196/39587","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Health education games make health-related tasks enjoyable and interactive, thereby encouraging user participation. Entrepreneurs and health educators can leverage online crowdfunding platforms, such as Kickstarter, to transform their innovative ideas into funded projects.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This research focuses on health education game initiatives on Kickstarter. Through an online user survey, it aims to understand user perceptions and evaluate the significance of 8 distinct components that may influence the success of such crowdfunding initiatives.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 75 participants evaluated games using 8 dimensions: game rules, learning objectives, narrative, content organization, motivation, interactivity, skill building, and assessment and feedback. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis, exploratory factor analysis, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, and multivariate analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Exploratory data analysis showed that, among the 8 dimensions, skill building, content organization, and interactivity were the top-ranking dimensions most closely associated with crowdfunding health education game. The 8 dimensions can be grouped into 3 categories from the exploratory factor analysis: game content-, instruction-, and game design-related components. Further statistical analysis confirmed the correlation between these dimensions with the successful crowdfunding of health education games.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This empirical analysis identified critical factors for game proposal design that can increase the likelihood of securing crowdfunding support.</p>","PeriodicalId":14795,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Serious Games","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11004519/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140059395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Serious Game (\"Fight With Virus\") for Preventing COVID-19 Health Rumors: Development and Experimental Study.","authors":"Shuo Xiong, Long Zuo, Qiwei Chen, Zhang Zeliang, Mohd Nor Akmal Khalid","doi":"10.2196/45546","DOIUrl":"10.2196/45546","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Health rumors arbitrarily spread in mainstream social media on the internet. Health rumors emerged in China during the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020. Many midelders/elders (age over 40 years) who lived in Wuhan believed these rumors.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study focused on designing a serious game as an experimental program to prevent and control health rumors. The focus of the study was explicitly on the context of the social networking service for midelders/elders.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This research involved 2 major parts: adopting the Transmission Control Protocol model for games and then, based on the model, designing a game named \"Fight With Virus\" as an experimental platform and developing a cognitive questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. The relevant variables for this experimental study were defined, and 10 hypotheses were proposed and tested with an empirical study. In total, 200 participants were selected for the experiments. By collecting relevant data in the experiments, we conducted statistical observations and comparative analysis to test whether the experimental hypotheses could be proved.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We noted that compared to traditional media, serious games are more capable of inspiring interest in research participants toward their understanding of the knowledge and learning of health commonsense. In judging and recognizing the COVID-19 health rumor, the test group that used game education had a stronger ability regarding identification of the rumor and a higher accuracy rate of identification. Results showed that the more educated midelders/elders are, the more effective they are at using serious games.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Compared to traditional media, serious games can effectively improve midelders'/elders' cognitive abilities while they face a health rumor. The gameplay effect is related to the individual's age and educational background, while income and gender have no impact.</p>","PeriodicalId":14795,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Serious Games","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10936928/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139971954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electronic Interactive Games for Glycemic Control in Individuals With Diabetes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.","authors":"WenQi Yao, YiBing Han, Li Yang, Ying Chen, ShengZhe Yan, YanZhen Cheng","doi":"10.2196/43574","DOIUrl":"10.2196/43574","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Several electronic interventions have been used to improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes. Electronic interactive games specific to physical activity are available, but it is unclear if these are effective at improving glycemic control in patients with diabetes.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to determine the effects of electronic game-based interventions on glycemic control in patients with diabetes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Relevant studies that were published before April 1, 2023, were searched from 5 databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. Eligibility criteria included prospective studies examining the relationship between electronic games with physical activities or diet education and glycemic control as the outcome. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. All analyses were conducted using RevMan5.4.1. Depending on the heterogeneity across studies, the pooled effects were calculated using fixed-effects or random-effects models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants from 9 studies were included and assessed. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) and fasting blood glucose improved in the intervention group, although the analysis revealed no significant reduction in HbA_1c (-0.09%, 95% CI -0.29% to 0.10%) or fasting blood glucose (-0.94 mg/dL, 95% CI -9.34 to 7.46 mg/dL). However, the physical activity of individuals in the intervention group was significantly higher than that of those in the control group (standardized mean difference=0.84, 95% CI 0.30 to 1.38; P=.002). Other outcomes, such as weight and blood lipids, exhibited no significant improvement (all P>.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Electronic games had a good impact on participants' physical activity and offered an advantage in glycemic control without reaching statistical significance. Electronic games are convenient for reminders and education. Low-intensity exercise games may not be considered a better adjuvant intervention to improve diabetes self-management care.</p>","PeriodicalId":14795,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Serious Games","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10897792/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139722635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Novel Casual Video Game With Simple Mental Health and Well-Being Concepts (Match Emoji): Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.","authors":"Russell Pine, James Mbinta, Lisa Te Morenga, Theresa Fleming","doi":"10.2196/46697","DOIUrl":"10.2196/46697","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adolescence is a crucial phase for early intervention and prevention of mental health problems. Casual video games are popular and have promise as a novel mechanism for reaching young people, but this potential has seldom been explored.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to explore the acceptability, feasibility, and possible indicators of therapeutic changes after playing a purpose-built novel casual video game (Match Emoji) with simple mental health and well-being content among young adolescents.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a single-arm, nonrandomized trial of Match Emoji with 12- to 14-year-old school students (N=45; 26 [57%] New Zealand European, 12 [26%] Māori; 7 [15%] Asian or Pacific; 27 [60%] boys, 3 [6%] non-binary). Participants were invited to play Match Emoji for 15 minutes, 2-3 times a week over 2 weeks (a total of 60 minutes). Acceptability was assessed through the frequency and duration of use (analytics analyzed at the end of the 2-week intervention period and at weeks 4 and 6) and through participant reports. The Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM), General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ), Flourishing Scale (FS), and Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) were assessed at baseline and week 2 to indicate possible effects. Focus groups were held in week 4.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most participants (n=39, 87%) used Match Emoji for at least 60 minutes over the 2-week intervention, with 80% (36/45) continuing to play the game after the intervention period. Mean change (from baseline to 2 weeks) on each measure was 1.38 (95% CI -0.03 to 2.79; P=.06) for CAMM; 0.8 (95% CI -2.71 to 4.31; P=.64) for GHSQ; -1.09 (95% CI -2.83 to 0.66; P=.21) for FS; and -3.42 (95% CI -6.84 to -0.001; P=0.49) for RCADS. Focus group feedback suggested that Match Emoji was enjoyable and helpful.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The casual video game with mental health content appeared to be acceptable and provided a promising indication of possible therapeutic effects. This approach is worthy of further investigation.</p><p><strong>International registered report identifier (irrid): </strong>RR2-10.2196/31588.</p>","PeriodicalId":14795,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Serious Games","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10897793/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48342442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Virtual Reality Therapy for the Management of Chronic Spinal Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Tongtong Zhang, Xin Li, Xuan Zhou, Lixia Zhan, Fan Wu, Zefan Huang, Yuxun Sun, Yufei Feng, Qing Du","doi":"10.2196/50089","DOIUrl":"10.2196/50089","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) therapy in adults with chronic spinal pain (CSP) is unclear.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of VR therapy and other therapies in adults with CSP, especially patients with inflammation-related pain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched up to November 11, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing adults with CSP receiving VR therapy with those receiving other therapies were included. The trial registration platform as well as the reference lists of included studies and previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses were manually searched. Two independent reviewers performed study selection, data extraction, risk-of-bias assessment, and evaluation of the quality of the evidence. The weighted mean difference (WMD) was used as the effect size used to synthesize the outcome measure.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 16 RCTs involving 800 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled data from 15 (94%) RCTs including 776 (97%) participants showed that VR therapy was superior in improving pain intensity (WMD=-1.63, 95% CI -2.11 to -1.16, P<.001, I²=90%) and reducing inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (WMD=-0.89, 95% CI -1.07 to -0.70, P<.001, I²=0%), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (WMD=-6.60, 95% CI -8.56 to -4.64, P<.001, I²=98%), and interleukin-6 (WMD=-2.76, 95% CI -2.98 to -2.53, P<.001, I²=0%). However, no significant differences were found in terms of the spinal range of motion (ROM), disability level, or fear of movement. In addition, 10 (63%) of the included RCTs had a high risk of bias.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>VR therapy may be an effective and safe intervention for reducing symptoms in patients with CSP, as it is shown to exert significant analgesic effects and beneficial improvements in inflammatory factor levels. However, this approach may not have significant effects on the spinal ROM, disability level, or fear of movement. Notably, the quality of the evidence from the RCTs included in this study ranged from moderate to low. Therefore, we recommend that readers interpret the results of this study with caution.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>PROSPERO CRD42022382331; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=382331.</p>","PeriodicalId":14795,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Serious Games","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10897798/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139722636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health Care Professional-Supported Co-Design of a Mime Therapy-Based Serious Game for Facial Rehabilitation.","authors":"Daniel Lima Sousa, Silmar Teixeira, José Everton Fontenele, Renato Mendes Santos, Leynilson Pereira, Rodrigo Baluz, Victor Hugo Bastos, Ariel Soares Teles","doi":"10.2196/52661","DOIUrl":"10.2196/52661","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":14795,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Serious Games","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10851117/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139542393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design of Virtual Reality Exergames for Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation Following Iterative Design Methods: Usability Study.","authors":"Julian Felipe Villada Castillo, Maria Fernanda Montoya Vega, John Edison Muñoz Cardona, David Lopez, Leonardo Quiñones, Oscar Alberto Henao Gallo, Jose Fernando Lopez","doi":"10.2196/48900","DOIUrl":"10.2196/48900","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Since the early 2000s, there has been a growing interest in using exercise video games (exergames) and virtual reality (VR)-based interventions as innovative methods to enhance physical rehabilitation for individuals with multiple disabilities. Over the past decade, researchers and exercise professionals have focused on developing specialized immersive exercise video games for various populations, including those who have experienced a stroke, revealing tangible benefits for upper limb rehabilitation. However, it is necessary to develop highly engaging, personalized games that can facilitate the creation of experiences aligned with the preferences, motivations, and challenges communicated by people who have had an episode of stroke.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study seeks to explore the customization potential of an exergame for individuals who have undergone a stroke, concurrently evaluating its usability as a technological tool in the realm of physical therapy and rehabilitation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We introduce a playtest methodology to enhance the design of a VR exergame developed using a user-centered approach for upper limb rehabilitation in stroke survivors. Over 4 playtesting sessions, stroke survivors interacted with initial game versions using VR headsets, providing essential feedback for refining game content and mechanics. Additionally, a pilot study involving 10 stroke survivors collected data through VR-related questionnaires to assess game design aspects such as mechanics, assistance, experience, motion sickness, and immersion.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The playtest methodology was beneficial for improving the exergame to align with user needs, consistently incorporating their perspectives and achieving noteworthy results. The pilot study revealed that users had a positive response. In the first scenario, a carpenter presents a game based on the flexion-extension movement of the elbow; the second scenario includes a tejo game (a traditional Colombian throwing game) designed around game mechanics related to the flexion-extension movement of the shoulder; and in the third scenario, a farmer challenges the player to perform a movement combining elbow flexion and extension with internal and external rotation of the shoulder. These findings suggest the potential of the studied exergame as a tool for the upper limb rehabilitation of individuals who have experienced a stroke.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The inclusion of exergames in rehabilitation for stroke-induced hemiparesis has significantly benefited the recovery process by focusing on essential shoulder and elbow movements. These interactive games play a crucial role in helping users regain mobility and restore practical use of affected limbs. They also serve as valuable data sources for researchers, improving the system's responsiveness. This iterative approach enhances game design and markedly boosts user satisfa","PeriodicalId":14795,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Serious Games","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10811592/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139417158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Serious Game to Train Rhythmic Abilities in Children With Dyslexia: Feasibility and Usability Study.","authors":"Francois Vonthron, Antoine Yuen, Hugues Pellerin, David Cohen, Charline Grossard","doi":"10.2196/42733","DOIUrl":"10.2196/42733","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rhythm perception and production are related to phonological awareness and reading performance, and rhythmic deficits have been reported in dyslexia. In addition, rhythm-based interventions can improve cognitive function, and there is consistent evidence suggesting that they are an efficient tool for training reading skills in dyslexia.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This paper describes a rhythmic training protocol for children with dyslexia provided through a serious game (SG) called Mila-Learn and the methodology used to test its usability.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We computed Mila-Learn, an SG that makes training remotely accessible and consistently reproducible and follows an educative agenda using Unity (Unity Technologies). The SG's development was informed by 2 studies conducted during the French COVID-19 lockdowns. Study 1 was a feasibility study evaluating the autonomous use of Mila-Learn with 2500 children with reading deficits. Data were analyzed from a subsample of 525 children who spontaneously played at least 15 (median 42) games. Study 2, following the same real-life setting as study 1, evaluated the usability of an enhanced version of Mila-Learn over 6 months in a sample of 3337 children. The analysis was carried out in 98 children with available diagnoses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Benefiting from study 1 feedback, we improved Mila-Learn to enhance motivation and learning by adding specific features, including customization, storylines, humor, and increasing difficulty. Linear mixed models showed that performance improved over time. The scores were better for older children (P<.001), children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (P<.001), and children with dyslexia (P<.001). Performance improved significantly faster in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (β=.06; t₃₇₅₄=3.91; P<.001) and slower in children with dyslexia (β=-.06; t₃₈₁₆=-5.08; P<.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Given these encouraging results, future work will focus on the clinical evaluation of Mila-Learn through a large double-blind randomized controlled trial comparing Mila-Learn and a placebo game.</p>","PeriodicalId":14795,"journal":{"name":"JMIR Serious Games","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10811594/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41201582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}