Scoping review
Defining the active ingredients of interactive computer play interventions for children with neuromotor impairments: A scoping review.
Levac, D., Rivard, L. & Missiuna C. in Research in Developmental Disabilities 33 (2012) 214 – 223
Link to abstract: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22093667
Scoping reviews summarize research activity in an area of health evidence to clarify concepts, disseminate information or identify gaps; typically without evaluating the strength of the studies, and often in emerging areas where there is little RCT-based evidence.
Objective: “New rehabilitation interventions are often evaluated in research and incorporated into practice without a clear understanding of their active ingredients.” The authors focus on the components of video game interventions that may affect motor performance in children with neuromotor impairments.
Process: A literature search based on the kernels ‘interactive computer play’ and ‘intervention’ resulted in 23 articles, and led to a thematic analysis explicitly and implicitly linking intervention components with outcomes.
Results: Themes that emerged…
- Video game properties: opportunities for practice, similarity of tasks to real-world movements , adaptability for individuals, feedback, social play.
- Outcomes for the user: neuroplastic changes, problem-solving & motivation due to competition and game characteristics.
- Therapist role as support person.
Video games are an emerging technology applied to rehabilitation. Identifying the components of video games that may contribute to outcomes is a step on the way.