Effects of Nintendo Switch on Rehabilitation Programs for Elderly People With Cognitive Impairment

Effects of Nintendo Switch on Rehabilitation Programs for Elderly People With Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Purpose: Healthy aging is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and safety in order to improve quality of life as people age. This study aimed to provide healthy aging for people with cognitive impairment through the use of the Nintendo Switch combined with Occupational Therapy sessions.

Material and methods: a randomized clinical trial was conducted. The sample was randomized using a software program, OxMar, which allowed the separation of the sample into a control group (CG), which received their usual sessions of conventional occupational therapy, and an experimental group (EG), which received therapy with Nintendo Switch, plus their conventional occupational therapy sessions. An 8-week intervention was conducted with Nintendo Switch.

Measures: Nine Hole Peg Test, Box and Block Test, Barthel Index, WHOQOL-BREF, CSQ-8.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult men or women, aged 65 years or older, cohabitating in the nursing home.
• Not presenting moderate or severe cognitive impairment measured through the MEC- Lobo test (score ≥ 24-35) (20).
• Agree to participate voluntarily, having read the project information sheet and signed the informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of neurodegenerative pathology.
• Presence of physical pathology that compromised the person's safety.
• Severe cognitive impairment.