- 2025-12-11
- Aging clinical and experimental research 37(1)
- RuYan Zhang
- BingHong Gao
- Ran Li
- RuiXia Zhou
Study Design
- Type
- Meta-Analysis
- Sample size
- n = 13
- Population
- elderly individuals with cognitive impairment
- Methods
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 studies (433 CI patients) comparing dance-based and exercise-based exergame interventions
Objective
To evaluate the effects of different types and durations of exergame interventions on cognition in elderly individuals with cognitive impairment (CI) through a meta-analysis.Methods
A computerized search was conducted in databases including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and CNKI from database inception to September 2025. Quality assessment and data extraction were performed on the included studies. Results measures included the MoCA , MMSE, etc. The study designs were randomized controlled trials or qua-si-experimental studies. The Cochrane Handbook's risk of bias tool was used for quality assessment, and Rev Man 5.0 software was employed to conduct meta-analyses on the ef-fects of dance-based and movement-based exergames on cognitive function in elderly CI patients.Results
A total of 13 studies involving 433 CI patients were included. Analysis of the 13 studies showed that dance-based exergaming was significantly superior to exercise-based exergaming in cognitive ability (SMD = 0.73, P < 0.01); interventions lasting ≥8 weeks were more effective than those lasting <8 weeks (SMD = 1.01, P = 0.02).Conclusion
Dance-based exergames significantly improve cognition in elderly individu-als with CI, with better effects observed in long-term interventions. However, more high-quality studies are needed to verify these findings and to supplement analyses on ex-ercise dose effects.