JMIR Serious Games

Pediatric patients undergoing surgery frequently experience significant anxiety, which can result in adverse effects such as prolonged sedation and behavioral changes associated with pharmacological interventions like oral midazolam. Video games offer a nonpharmacological distraction method that shows promise in alleviating procedural anxiety without significant side effects. However, the effectiveness of video games compared to midazolam in managing perioperative anxiety remains uncertain.

Cognitive bias modification (CBM) programs have shown promise in treating psychiatric conditions, but they can be perceived as boring and repetitive. Incorporating gamified designs and adaptive algorithms in CBM training may address this issue and enhance engagement and effectiveness.

Virtual reality (VR) is helpful for the management of stress and anxiety. However, current interventions have limitations related to location (ie, therapist’s office or hospitals) and content (ie, virtual experiences only for relaxation).

Digital serious games (DSGs), designed for purposes beyond entertainment and consumed via electronic devices, have garnered attention for their potential to enhance learning and promote behavior change. Their effectiveness depends on the quality of their design. Frameworks for DSG design can guide the creation of engaging games tailored to objectives such as education, health, and social impact.

Dysphagia is common in intensive care (ICU) patients. Using surface electromyography (sEMG) signals as biofeedback training exercises might offer a promising path to improving swallowing function. The Rephagia® biofeedback system uses sEMG to assess muscle strength, stamina and timing of the swallowing action.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in executive functions, such as inhibitory control, which affect behavior and social adaptation. Although physical activity-based interventions, such as exergames, have shown potential to improve these functions, their comparative effects with active traditional games remain underexplored, particularly regarding inhibitory control in children with ASD.

Adherence to 24-hour movement behavior recommendations, including physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep, is essential for the healthy development of preschool children. Gamified family-based interventions have shown the potential to improve adherence to these guidelines, but evidence of their effectiveness among children is limited.

Brief behavioral treatment for insomnia is an effective short-term therapy focusing on stimulus control and sleep restriction to enhance sleep quality. As a crucial part of this therapy, diaphragmatic breathing is often recommended when patients fail to fall asleep within 30 minutes. With the rise of health apps and gamification, these tools are increasingly seen as effective ways to boost self-efficacy and user engagement; however, traditional games tend to increase attention, which can negatively impact sleep and contradicts the aim of sleep therapy. This study thus explored the potential for gamification techniques to promote relaxation without disrupting sleep processes.

The prevalence of dementia is expected to rise with an aging population, necessitating accessible early detection methods. Serious games have emerged as potential cognitive screening tools. They provide not only an engaging platform for assessing cognitive function but also serve as valuable indicators of cognitive health through engagement levels observed during play.

Approximately 17% of children in the United States have been diagnosed with a developmental or neurological disorder that affects upper limb (UL) movements needed for completing activities of daily living. Gold-standard laboratory assessments of the UL are objective and precise but may not be portable, while clinical assessments can be time-intensive. We developed MoEvGame, a mobile health (mHealth) gamification software system for the iPad, as a potential advanced technology to assess UL motor functions.

Virtual reality (VR) serious games, due to their high level of freedom and realism, influence the rehabilitation training of inhibitory control abilities in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although reward feedback has a motivating effect on improving inhibitory control, the effectiveness and differences between various forms of rewards lack empirical research.

Exergames are increasingly used in rehabilitation, yet their usability and user experience for patients and therapists, particularly for functional model systems, are under-researched. The diverse needs and preferences of users make conducting usability studies challenging, emphasizing the need for further investigation in real-world settings.