Eye-Riders an Applied Game for Boosting Executive Functions
Noemi Mazzoni, Angelica Succi, Marica Caruana, Giovanna Cingolani, Sara Giovagnoli, Catia Prandi, Davide Paolillo, Luigi Marotta, Mariagrazia Benassi, Matilde Spinoso
To date, in clinical practice there is increasing use of cognitive training which is based on gamification techniques and is accessible online, targeting especially populations with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, or specific learning disorders (SLDs). This study aims to provide preliminary results about the effectiveness of the applied game Eye-Riders for improving executive functions. A group of 41 children (age range 7-9 years) participated in the study: 13 with SLDs and 28 with typical development. The cognitive training consisted in playing Eye-Riders during 9 sessions of 20 minutes each, three times a week for three weeks. The effectiveness of the training was assessed using some of the Nepsy-II battery scales. Executive functions and attention were measured before and after training. Our results showed significant improvement in auditory attention, visual attention, inhibition, and switching skills in both the groups. Moreover, only in children with SLDs, the results revealed that the improvement in visual attention skills was associated with an improvement in performance obtained in the applied game. In conclusion, Eye-Riders proves a useful tool for enhancing attention and executive functions in both children with SLDs and typically developing children.
Keywords
Applied game, Specific Learning disorders, Executive functions, Visuo-spatial attention, Cognitive training.
