http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5092-7985
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Abstract
Background: Exergames have been used as an innovative motor rehabilitation method with the main aim of improving motivation and exercise. As research interest in exergaming for rehabilitation is rapidly growing, a review of existing systematic reviews is important to synthesize the available evidence and provide recommendations.
Objectives: In this article, we systematically synthesized the information from reviews that have examined the effects if exergames on different body movement parameters in older adults with and without specific pathologies.
Method: Searches were conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, PubMed, SciELO, B-On and Google Scholar, articulating different terms and Boolean operators. Systematic reviews, meta-analysis and literature reviews published until May 2017 that investigated exergame interventions on physical outcomes, such as balance, gait, limb movements, muscle strength, in healthy and non-healthy older adults.
Results: Based on prior reviews, exergaming, as a standalone intervention, has a positive effect on balance, gait, muscle strength, upper limb function, and dexterity. When compared to traditional physiotherapy, exergaming has at least similar effects on these outcomes. Many of the investigated studies indicated low methodological quality for the evaluation of the effects of exergames on different outcomes related to motor rehabilitation.
Conclusions: Exergames could be used as a complement to traditional forms of motor rehabilitation, but future individual studies and reviews should follow more rigorous methodological standards in order to improve the quality of the evidence and provide guidelines for the use of exergames in motor rehabilitation.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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Notes on contributors
Eduardo Reis
Eduardo Reis has a MSc. in Social and Organizational Psychology, and currently is a PhD candidate in the Lisbon PhD in Social Psychology (LiSP). With his PhD project he aims to investigate how intimate partner violence awareness campaigns can facilitate help-seeking among victimized men in different-sex and same-sex relationships.
Gabriela Postolache has a PhD in Physiology, and currently is researcher at Telecommunications Institute, Lisbon, Portugal. Her research focus on cardiovascular physiology and measurement instruments. She has collaborated in the development of several instruments and techniques for measuring vital signs and motor functions.
Luís Teixeira has a PhD in Human Kinetics in the specialty of Ergonomics from FMH/ULisboa, and a MSc. in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from ISEL/IPL. His work has been focused in research that makes use of Virtual Reality solutions with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction. Currently he is a researcher at the Champalimaud Foundation.
Patrícia Arriaga has a PhD in Social and Organizational Psychology from ISCTE, and a MSc. in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology from ISPA. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. Her research interest focus on emotions, cognition and behavior applied to social and health psychology, including the development of healthcare multimedia tools to promote well-being.
Maria Luísa Lima is a Social Psychologist and currently a Full Professor in the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. She has worked as consultant for governmental agencies and private companies. She was the representative of Psychology at the Scientific Council for the Social Sciences of the National Research Funding Agency (FCT) and the Portuguese member of the Social Sciences at the European Science Foundation. Her research applies social psychology to environmental and health issues, namely studying the social dimensions that affect risk perception concerning high impact projects. She has worked in interdisciplinary research projects in these domains, both at the national and international levels.
Octavian Adrian Postolache is a researcher at the Telecommunications Institute, in the field of electric engineering, focusing on signal processing, telecommunications, application of computational intelligence in automated signal measurements, and the development of smart sensors in the area of biomedical and environmental monitoring. Since 2012, he is Professor with Habilitation at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, School of Technology and Architecture.
Gabriela Postolache
Eduardo Reis has a MSc. in Social and Organizational Psychology, and currently is a PhD candidate in the Lisbon PhD in Social Psychology (LiSP). With his PhD project he aims to investigate how intimate partner violence awareness campaigns can facilitate help-seeking among victimized men in different-sex and same-sex relationships.
Gabriela Postolache has a PhD in Physiology, and currently is researcher at Telecommunications Institute, Lisbon, Portugal. Her research focus on cardiovascular physiology and measurement instruments. She has collaborated in the development of several instruments and techniques for measuring vital signs and motor functions.
Luís Teixeira has a PhD in Human Kinetics in the specialty of Ergonomics from FMH/ULisboa, and a MSc. in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from ISEL/IPL. His work has been focused in research that makes use of Virtual Reality solutions with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction. Currently he is a researcher at the Champalimaud Foundation.
Patrícia Arriaga has a PhD in Social and Organizational Psychology from ISCTE, and a MSc. in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology from ISPA. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. Her research interest focus on emotions, cognition and behavior applied to social and health psychology, including the development of healthcare multimedia tools to promote well-being.
Maria Luísa Lima is a Social Psychologist and currently a Full Professor in the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. She has worked as consultant for governmental agencies and private companies. She was the representative of Psychology at the Scientific Council for the Social Sciences of the National Research Funding Agency (FCT) and the Portuguese member of the Social Sciences at the European Science Foundation. Her research applies social psychology to environmental and health issues, namely studying the social dimensions that affect risk perception concerning high impact projects. She has worked in interdisciplinary research projects in these domains, both at the national and international levels.
Octavian Adrian Postolache is a researcher at the Telecommunications Institute, in the field of electric engineering, focusing on signal processing, telecommunications, application of computational intelligence in automated signal measurements, and the development of smart sensors in the area of biomedical and environmental monitoring. Since 2012, he is Professor with Habilitation at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, School of Technology and Architecture.
Luís Teixeira
Eduardo Reis has a MSc. in Social and Organizational Psychology, and currently is a PhD candidate in the Lisbon PhD in Social Psychology (LiSP). With his PhD project he aims to investigate how intimate partner violence awareness campaigns can facilitate help-seeking among victimized men in different-sex and same-sex relationships.
Gabriela Postolache has a PhD in Physiology, and currently is researcher at Telecommunications Institute, Lisbon, Portugal. Her research focus on cardiovascular physiology and measurement instruments. She has collaborated in the development of several instruments and techniques for measuring vital signs and motor functions.
Luís Teixeira has a PhD in Human Kinetics in the specialty of Ergonomics from FMH/ULisboa, and a MSc. in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from ISEL/IPL. His work has been focused in research that makes use of Virtual Reality solutions with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction. Currently he is a researcher at the Champalimaud Foundation.
Patrícia Arriaga has a PhD in Social and Organizational Psychology from ISCTE, and a MSc. in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology from ISPA. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. Her research interest focus on emotions, cognition and behavior applied to social and health psychology, including the development of healthcare multimedia tools to promote well-being.
Maria Luísa Lima is a Social Psychologist and currently a Full Professor in the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. She has worked as consultant for governmental agencies and private companies. She was the representative of Psychology at the Scientific Council for the Social Sciences of the National Research Funding Agency (FCT) and the Portuguese member of the Social Sciences at the European Science Foundation. Her research applies social psychology to environmental and health issues, namely studying the social dimensions that affect risk perception concerning high impact projects. She has worked in interdisciplinary research projects in these domains, both at the national and international levels.
Octavian Adrian Postolache is a researcher at the Telecommunications Institute, in the field of electric engineering, focusing on signal processing, telecommunications, application of computational intelligence in automated signal measurements, and the development of smart sensors in the area of biomedical and environmental monitoring. Since 2012, he is Professor with Habilitation at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, School of Technology and Architecture.
Patrícia Arriaga
Eduardo Reis has a MSc. in Social and Organizational Psychology, and currently is a PhD candidate in the Lisbon PhD in Social Psychology (LiSP). With his PhD project he aims to investigate how intimate partner violence awareness campaigns can facilitate help-seeking among victimized men in different-sex and same-sex relationships.
Gabriela Postolache has a PhD in Physiology, and currently is researcher at Telecommunications Institute, Lisbon, Portugal. Her research focus on cardiovascular physiology and measurement instruments. She has collaborated in the development of several instruments and techniques for measuring vital signs and motor functions.
Luís Teixeira has a PhD in Human Kinetics in the specialty of Ergonomics from FMH/ULisboa, and a MSc. in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from ISEL/IPL. His work has been focused in research that makes use of Virtual Reality solutions with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction. Currently he is a researcher at the Champalimaud Foundation.
Patrícia Arriaga has a PhD in Social and Organizational Psychology from ISCTE, and a MSc. in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology from ISPA. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. Her research interest focus on emotions, cognition and behavior applied to social and health psychology, including the development of healthcare multimedia tools to promote well-being.
Maria Luísa Lima is a Social Psychologist and currently a Full Professor in the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. She has worked as consultant for governmental agencies and private companies. She was the representative of Psychology at the Scientific Council for the Social Sciences of the National Research Funding Agency (FCT) and the Portuguese member of the Social Sciences at the European Science Foundation. Her research applies social psychology to environmental and health issues, namely studying the social dimensions that affect risk perception concerning high impact projects. She has worked in interdisciplinary research projects in these domains, both at the national and international levels.
Octavian Adrian Postolache is a researcher at the Telecommunications Institute, in the field of electric engineering, focusing on signal processing, telecommunications, application of computational intelligence in automated signal measurements, and the development of smart sensors in the area of biomedical and environmental monitoring. Since 2012, he is Professor with Habilitation at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, School of Technology and Architecture.
Maria Luísa Lima
Eduardo Reis has a MSc. in Social and Organizational Psychology, and currently is a PhD candidate in the Lisbon PhD in Social Psychology (LiSP). With his PhD project he aims to investigate how intimate partner violence awareness campaigns can facilitate help-seeking among victimized men in different-sex and same-sex relationships.
Gabriela Postolache has a PhD in Physiology, and currently is researcher at Telecommunications Institute, Lisbon, Portugal. Her research focus on cardiovascular physiology and measurement instruments. She has collaborated in the development of several instruments and techniques for measuring vital signs and motor functions.
Luís Teixeira has a PhD in Human Kinetics in the specialty of Ergonomics from FMH/ULisboa, and a MSc. in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from ISEL/IPL. His work has been focused in research that makes use of Virtual Reality solutions with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction. Currently he is a researcher at the Champalimaud Foundation.
Patrícia Arriaga has a PhD in Social and Organizational Psychology from ISCTE, and a MSc. in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology from ISPA. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. Her research interest focus on emotions, cognition and behavior applied to social and health psychology, including the development of healthcare multimedia tools to promote well-being.
Maria Luísa Lima is a Social Psychologist and currently a Full Professor in the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. She has worked as consultant for governmental agencies and private companies. She was the representative of Psychology at the Scientific Council for the Social Sciences of the National Research Funding Agency (FCT) and the Portuguese member of the Social Sciences at the European Science Foundation. Her research applies social psychology to environmental and health issues, namely studying the social dimensions that affect risk perception concerning high impact projects. She has worked in interdisciplinary research projects in these domains, both at the national and international levels.
Octavian Adrian Postolache is a researcher at the Telecommunications Institute, in the field of electric engineering, focusing on signal processing, telecommunications, application of computational intelligence in automated signal measurements, and the development of smart sensors in the area of biomedical and environmental monitoring. Since 2012, he is Professor with Habilitation at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, School of Technology and Architecture.
Octavian Postolache
Eduardo Reis has a MSc. in Social and Organizational Psychology, and currently is a PhD candidate in the Lisbon PhD in Social Psychology (LiSP). With his PhD project he aims to investigate how intimate partner violence awareness campaigns can facilitate help-seeking among victimized men in different-sex and same-sex relationships.
Gabriela Postolache has a PhD in Physiology, and currently is researcher at Telecommunications Institute, Lisbon, Portugal. Her research focus on cardiovascular physiology and measurement instruments. She has collaborated in the development of several instruments and techniques for measuring vital signs and motor functions.
Luís Teixeira has a PhD in Human Kinetics in the specialty of Ergonomics from FMH/ULisboa, and a MSc. in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from ISEL/IPL. His work has been focused in research that makes use of Virtual Reality solutions with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction. Currently he is a researcher at the Champalimaud Foundation.
Patrícia Arriaga has a PhD in Social and Organizational Psychology from ISCTE, and a MSc. in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology from ISPA. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. Her research interest focus on emotions, cognition and behavior applied to social and health psychology, including the development of healthcare multimedia tools to promote well-being.
Maria Luísa Lima is a Social Psychologist and currently a Full Professor in the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. She has worked as consultant for governmental agencies and private companies. She was the representative of Psychology at the Scientific Council for the Social Sciences of the National Research Funding Agency (FCT) and the Portuguese member of the Social Sciences at the European Science Foundation. Her research applies social psychology to environmental and health issues, namely studying the social dimensions that affect risk perception concerning high impact projects. She has worked in interdisciplinary research projects in these domains, both at the national and international levels.
Octavian Adrian Postolache is a researcher at the Telecommunications Institute, in the field of electric engineering, focusing on signal processing, telecommunications, application of computational intelligence in automated signal measurements, and the development of smart sensors in the area of biomedical and environmental monitoring. Since 2012, he is Professor with Habilitation at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, School of Technology and Architecture.