EXERGAMING IN OLDER ADULTS WITH MAJOR NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDER

Major neurocognitive disorder is characterized by a decline of cognitive and motor functions which leads to a
gradual decrease of independence in daily life activities. This functional decline contributes to a reduced quality
of life, increased caregiver effort, care burden and long-term care costs. In recent years, there has been in
particular a growing interest in the benefits of non-pharmacological therapies, such as regular physical activity.
More importantly, researchers recently stated that a combination of cognitive and physical training positively
affect cognitive function in people with major neurocognitive disorder. Therefore, it is of upmost importance to
offer combined cognitive and physical training to this population.
Recent improvements in technology have provided opportunities for combining physical activity with cognitivelychallenging
tasks in one single session through exergames (exercise and video games). Exergames are interactive
video-games which require the player to produce body movements in response to visual, auditory and
somatosensory cues. Previous research demonstrated that compared with physical activity, exergames induce
more beneficial cognitive effects. It also improves physical activity levels and reduces obesity, depression and fall
risk. Considering these promising benefits, it is of upmost importance to examine the use of exergames in people
with major neurocognitive disorder. The first phase of this doctoral project will focus on the use of exergames in
this population in a mixed-methods study. In the second phase, we will contribute to an international study
where a gait speed and variability assessment will be used to personalize the exergame intervention in this
population. We hypothesize that exergames present an enjoyable and motivating instrument of being physically
active in people with major neurocognitive disorder and positively influence the quality of life, physical, cognitive
and behavioral functioning.