JMIR Serious Games

Background: Incentive salience processes are important for the development and maintenance of addiction. Eye-characteristics such as gaze fixation time, pupil diameter, and spontaneous blink rate (EBR) are theoretically associated with incentive salience and may serve as useful biomarkers. Yet, traditional cue-exposure paradigms used to elicit incentive salience are often constrained, potentially hindering our ability to accurately assess these markers.

Exercise offers significant health benefits but can induce oxidative stress and inflammation, especially in high-intensity formats like high-intensity interval exercise (hereafter "HIIE" for brevity). Exergaming has become an effective, enjoyable fitness tool for all ages, particularly seniors. Enzyme supplements may enhance exercise performance by improving lactate metabolism and reducing oxidative stress.

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a common and serious complication in patients who are immobile in health care settings. Nurses play a fundamental role in the prevention of PUs; however, novice nurses lack experience in clinical situations. Virtual reality (VR) is highly conducive to clinical- and procedure-focused training because it facilitates simulations.

The effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) fitness games as a form of moderate to vigorous physical activity has yet to be thoroughly quantified through gold standard energy expenditure measures.

Traditional serious game design methods often overlook stakeholder needs. This study integrates stakeholder theory and enterprise architecture (EA), along with the Architecture Development Method, to propose a novel framework for serious game design. Crafted to aid practitioners, researchers, and specialists in leveraging resources more effectively, the framework is validated through a design science research methodology. Expert reviews have further refined its features, making it a robust tool for enhancing serious game design and implementation.

Due to a high number of patients affected by long COVID or post-COVID condition, an essential step to address the long-term effects of COVID-19 lies in the development and implementation of flexible and accessible rehabilitation programs. Virtual reality (VR) technologies offer the potential to support traditional therapies with individualized at-home programs.

Currently, the fusion of technology and sport is inseparable. The integration of various systems and devices has brought about significant transformations in established sports practices, impacting not only the rules but also physiological, biomechanical, and even psychological aspects.

In the wake of challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic to conventional medical education, the demand for innovative teaching methods has surged. Nurse training, with its focus on hands-on practice and self-directed learning, encountered significant hurdles with conventional approaches. Augmented reality (AR) offers a potential solution to addressing this issue.

Adolescent mental health is of utmost importance. E-mental health interventions, in particular serious games, are appealing to adolescents and can have beneficial effects on their mental health. A serious game aimed at impacting cognitive vulnerability, i.e. beliefs or attitudes which can predispose an individual to mental health problems, can contribute to the prevention of these problems in adolescents.

Serious games, which are gaming applications used for purposes beyond entertainment to educate users on, and address, specific issues, may present a timely approach to promote healthy diabetes management behaviors among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The lasting benefits associated with these serious games encompass improved patient education; enhanced glycemic control; the reinforcement of bonds within the community of people with diabetes; the facilitation of meaningful dialogues with caregivers, especially within the familial setting; and a significant reduction in the economic burdens associated with subsequent complications.

Finding enjoyable and effective long-term approaches to rehabilitation for improving the upper limb (UL) function of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is challenging. Using virtual reality (VR) could be a solution to this challenge; however, there is a lack of reporting on the views of people with MS and clinicians on VR-based approaches and recommendations for games for rehabilitation.