Effects of a video game on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital

Abstract

The purpose of this quasi-experimental research was to study the effects of a cognitive-specific video game in older adults with MCI. Twenty volunteers aged 54-74 years fulfilling diagnosis criteria for MCI were enrolled. The screening instruments include Thai Mental State Examination (TMSE) and Thai version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-Thai). The samples were divided into 2 groups, the Video game Group and Control Group. The Video game Group received 12 session of speed-attention type video game training. Cognitive functions in areas of attention, visual memory, processing speed and executive functions were assessed using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Battery (CANTAB) at baseline and after 6 weeks or 12 sessions of training. The results showed that at 6 weeks, the Video game Group had significant improvement in executive function in an area of working memory compared to Control Group (p < 0.05). The significant within group effects of pre- and post training for the Video game group showed improvement in processing speed and executive function test outcomes of problem solving and visual learning tasks (CANTAB OTS and PAL). The result indicated that there is a possibility which the elderly with MCI could improve executive functions from cognitive training. Although the present study is a pilot study with small samples, nevertheless, the results are promising for the further investigation and development of cognitive-specific video games in larger, more diverse samples.