The following is the summary of “Features and effects of computer-based games on cognitive impairments in children with autism spectrum disorder: an evidence-based systematic literature review” published in the January 2023 issue of Psychiatry by Rezayi, et al.
It has been found that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit distinct cognitive and IQ profiles from typically developing adults. The cognitive abilities of some of these kids need to be retrained. The primary goals of this research are to present a comprehensive evaluation of the literature on the use of computerized cognitive games as an intervention for autistic children and to assess the efficacy of such games. The databases ISI Web of Science, Medline (through PubMed), Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and APA PsycInfo were searched for publications published between their inception and May 17, 2022.
From a total of 1,746 publications, only 28 were deemed suitable for inclusion in this meta-analysis. 15 papers (53.57%) examined the effects of an intervention solely in an experimental group, while 13 papers (46.42%) compared a control group (CG) with an experimental group (EG). There are 5 main types of cognitive processes: Researchers rank them as follows: Executive functions; Social cognition/emotions; Attention/concentration; Learning and memory; Language.
After cognitive rehabilitation, social cognition and emotions were tested in 12 studies, or 42.85% of the total. Positive impacts on social cognition were reported more frequently than any other type. About 17 of the included studies found a favorable effect across all measures, while nine of the studies were only quasi-experimental. Children with autism may see improvements in their cognitive scores if they are provided with the right computerized game-based solutions. Therefore, more research is required to ascertain the true efficacy of these cutting-edge tools.
Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-022-04501-1
