Video games for people with schizophrenia.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Commercial video games are popular and may offer cognitive benefits.
• Concerns exist regarding negative effects, yet games are used as control interventions.
• Video games could be a cost-effective add-on intervention for schizophrenia treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review video game effects (alone or as add-on) versus standard care or other interventions for schizophrenia.
• To assess impacts on general functioning, cognition, social functioning, mental state, quality of life, and physical fitness.
• To evaluate clinically important adverse effects.

Main Methods:

• Searched Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Study-Based Register of Trials.
• Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of video games for schizophrenia.
• Extracted data, calculated risk ratios and mean differences, assessed risk of bias, and used GRADE for evidence quality.

Main Results:

• Non-exergames showed no clear difference vs. cognitive remediation in general or social functioning (very low-quality evidence).
• Cognitive remediation showed a clear benefit for cognitive functioning (low-quality evidence).
• Exergames showed a possible benefit for physical fitness (aerobic fitness) vs. standard care (low-quality evidence).

Conclusions:

• Non-exergames may be less beneficial for cognitive functioning than cognitive remediation but comparable for other outcomes.
• Evidence quality is low to very low, necessitating more high-quality trials.
• Limited evidence suggests exergames may benefit cognitive functioning and aerobic fitness, requiring larger, longer studies for confirmation.