Exergames in neurocognitive disease management in elderly: a narrative review of therapeutic benefits and applications

Objective. Recent advancements in understanding neurodegenerative diseases highlight their global impact, affecting about 55 million indi-viduals. Mild Neurocognitive disorder (MND) underscores the urgency for early intervention. Nonpharmacological approaches, including ex-ergames, show promise in enhancing cognitive and physical functions. This review explores exergames’ potential in Neurocognitive disorder intervention. Methods. The review covered publications from 2012 to December 2023, from PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PEdro. Papers were selected using key words like “exergame”, “de-mentia”,”neurocognitive disorder” “Alzheimer’s Disease”, “cognitive function”, “balance”, and “walking”. Results. This study focused on identifying studies using exergames in Neurocognitive disorder (NCD) support. Most studies (22/28) included control group comparisons. Some focused on cognitive function (3/27), physical abilities like balance and walking (4/27), or both (12/27). A study investigated cognitive function and electroencephalogram (EEG). Additionally, a pilot study examined cognitive functions and oxidative stress (OxS). The Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect were commonly used, alongside iPACES, iPACES 2.0, Physiomat, Bike and Fiets Laby-rint, IREX, LegSys, BioSensics, Cosmed EuroBike 320, Dividat Senso, Valve Index (HMD), and Hexer Heart. Conclusions. Exergames emerge as a viable alternative to traditional physical exercise, offering easy accessibility and active participant engagement, thus promoting greater adherence. Utilizing low-cost de-vices, these games are readily available and applicable in specialized centers and at home with caregiver assistance, highlighting their adaptability during circumstances such as pandemics.