Scientific Programme
Biomechanics & Motor control
IS-BM08 - Brain & Body Bootcamp: Revolutionizing Fitness with Exergames!
Date: 04.07.2025, Time: 08:00 - 09:15, Session Room: Arengo
Description
Exergames provide new opportunities to engage older adults in motor-cognitive training. Concurrent motor-cognitive training is considered promising to prevent both the decline in physical and cognitive functioning in older adults and can be highly motivating when applied in such settings. Here we explore several mechanisms why video game-based exergame training necessitating subject’s ability to lift the toes and to place the feet on different target zones can lead to improved brain and physical function. The physical exercise involved promotes cardiovascular health, enhances coordination, and increases strength and endurance, which contribute to overall physical fitness. Simultaneously, the cognitive aspects of gaming—such as problem-solving, strategy formation, and rapid decision-making—stimulate brain activity and can improve neuroplasticity, attention, and memory. Positive effects in the nervous system are due to stimulating neural pathways through concurrent movement, thinking and coordination.
Chair(s)
Eling D. de Bruin
Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH, Health Sciences and Technology
Switzerland
Speaker A
Eling D. de Bruin
Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH, Health Sciences and Technology
Switzerland
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Moving Beyond Screens: Unleashing the Power of Exergames for Health and Wellness
Technological innovations (e.g. exergames) provide new options to engage older adults in motor-cognitive training [1]. Simultaneous motor-cognitive training is considered promising to prevent both the decline in physical and cognitive functioning in older adults and can be highly motivating when applied in form of exergaming. A systematic review found exergames appearing to be more effective on global cognitive performance than conventional physical training. Furthermore, neurophysiological benefits were mainly seen following exergaming [2,3]. These benefits are believed to be caused by the unique opportunity for trainees to interact in an enriched environment that, in turn, provides structured, scalable training opportunities augmented by multi-sensory feedback to enhance skill learning and neuroplasticity through repeated practice [4]. Here we explore several mechanisms why video game-based exergame training necessitating subject’s ability to lift the toes and to place the feet on different target zones can lead to improved brain and physical function. The physical exercise involved promotes cardiovascular health, enhances coordination, and increases strength and endurance, which contributes to overall physical fitness. Simultaneously, the cognitive aspects of gaming—such as problem-solving, strategy formation, and rapid decision-making—stimulate brain activity and can improve neuroplasticity, attention, and memory. Positive effects in the nervous system are due to stimulating neural pathways through concurrent movement, thinking and coordination. [1] Dove et al. JMIR, 19: p. e3, 2017 [2] Soares et al. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 97: 10485, 2021; [3] Davis et al. J of ACH 72:1-9, 2022; [3]; [4] Aminov et al. JNER 15: p. 29, 2018.
Speaker B
Federico Gennaro
University of Padua, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Italy
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Gait-related Electrophysiological Adaptations following Exergame Training
Electrophysiological assessments, such as Electroencephalography (EEG) and Electromyography (EMG), can be employed in movement-related tasks such as walking, thanks to recent advances in hardware design and signal processing, which helped to overcome previous existing data collection and analysis limitations. That is, acquiring cerebral activity during movement represented a challenging condition for decades. due to the inherently present physiological and not physiological artifactual activity [1]. Gait is a locomotor task driven by neural inputs directed to skeletal muscles, and exergames can be designed for gait training purposes [2] as well as targeting central nervous system (CNS) potential adaptations [3]. Here we explore results from an exergame training intervention, where the employed videogame required the older adult’s subject ability to lift the toes and to place the feet on different target zones as a requirement to successfully play the game [4]. We illustrate gait-related electrophysiological adaptations following exergame training, and we introduce prospects of using a combination of several electrophysiological measurement devices as well. In our study CNS adaptations are assessed by means of a paired set of two bipolar EMG sensors. This configuration is required to run intramuscular coherence analysis (IMC), which represents a useful (but proxy) method to assess neural drive to specific muscles during gait tasks. We show that IMC significantly changes following exergame training, during dual-task but not during single task gait. These findings are important, since the former is greatly impaired in older adults, involving more cognitive resources compared to normal gait, but gait-related IMC can adapt following exergame training. That is, consistently playing exergame over several weeks can lead to changes in the central drive to ankle dorsiflexors during dual-task gait. This shows that exergame-based training in upright standing position, which includes movement pattern resembling “gait initiation”, can improve neural drive to the lower extremities in older adults. Whether combining EMG and EEG assessments (i.e. Corticomuscular Coherence) can yield similar results remains to be still elucidated, promising results of this approach have been already shown in other contexts (e.g. sarcopenia). Interestingly, mounting evidence hints towards the feasibility of using EEG playing exergame as well, showing interesting potential cognitive and motor adaptations. [1] Gennaro F., & de Bruin ED. Front. in public health, 6 (39), 2018 [2] Pichierri et al. BMC Geriatr 12: 74, 2012 [3] Schättin et al. Front. Aging Neurosci. 8: 278, 2016 [4] de Bruin ED et al. Front. Aging Neurosci. 11:263, 2019 [5] Gennaro F. et al. J. Clin. Med., 9(3):720, 2020
Speaker C
Nina Skjæret-Maroni
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science
Norway
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Examining Cognitive and Motor Engagement in Exergaming
Exergaming has gained traction as a dual-purpose activity for enhancing both physical and cognitive health, especially among older adults [1]. Characteristics of different games and game settings affect physical and cognitive activity [2]. Here we explore how different exergame types, such as balance and stepping games, influence brain and physical activity through real-time EEG analysis. EEG provides a dynamic and non-invasive method to capture the neural responses of players, focusing on cognitive engagement markers like theta and alpha rhythms. Frontal theta and central/parietal alpha frequencies are key indicators of cognitive processing in working memory tasks for both young and older adults [3,4]. While frontal theta power increases with cognitive demands and task difficulty, alpha oscillations decrease with increased information processing [3,5]. Our studies shows that exergaming can significantly increase frontal theta power, indicating heightened cognitive demand and attentional processes during gameplay. These neural responses suggest that exergaming, by requiring attention and motor coordination, promotes active cognitive engagement beyond the physical movements alone. Our findings also highlight the varying impact of game difficulty and type on neural activation, underscoring the importance of tailoring exergames to individual abilities and rehabilitation goals. This research supports the potential of exergaming as a structured, interactive intervention to foster cognitive and motor health, while underscoring the importance of tailoring exergame interventions to optimize both cognitive and physical outcomes in older adults. [1] Stojan & Voelcker-Rehage J. Clin. Med, 8:734, 2019 [2] Müller et al. Front. Aging Neurosci. 15:1143859, 2023 [3] Sauseng et al. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 57, 97–103, 2005; [4] McEvoy et al Cogn. Brain Res. 11, 363–376, 2001; [5]; Pfurtscheller et al. Clin. Neurophysiol. 110, 1842–1857, 1999.