Computer-Based Gamified Tools for Facial Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review

Motor rehabilitation in patients with facial disorders, such as facial paralysis (FP), has faced challenges in maintaining the patients' engagement and motivation in the intensive and repetitive execution of the exercises. To assist in the facial rehabilitation process, gamified tools (GTs) have been proposed to promote stimulation and engagement in affected patients. This study provides a comprehensive review on the use of GTs to aid facial rehabilitation, with the aim of investigating the potential of such computer-based tools to motivate facial mime exercises. A systematic search conducted on May 22, 2024, across five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and MEDLINE/PubMed) returned 1043 articles. The selection of studies resulted in 15 articles included for analysis, most of which were intended for patients recovering from FP. Bell's palsy, paralysis resulting from stroke, orofacial apraxia, and cerebral palsy were the patient disorders addressed in the articles. Facial mimic movements used for rehabilitation varied, the main actions considered in the studies were opening and closing the eyes, smiling, and raising the eyebrows. Studies focused on developing tools and conducting experiments with participants. Despite advances made by the selected studies, proposed computer-based tools for facial rehabilitation have not yet reached the necessary maturity for their use in clinical settings. Consequently, additional efforts are needed to perform new studies to mitigate the challenges presented in this research area. Therefore, this is a constantly evolving area of research and offers a huge window of opportunity for further research.