Managing motor symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases: A scoping review of game-based approaches
Maura Philippone, Brooke Emerick, Thea KnowlesABSTRACT
Introduction
This scoping review sought to characterize how serious games are used to support motor rehabilitation in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases by identifying (1) the range of target populations, interventions, and study procedures in research involving serious games for motor rehabilitation in neurodegeneration and (2) the range and types of serious games reported in this literature.
Material and methods
A scoping review was conducted across three databases (final search in September 2025) to identify literature addressing (a) serious games/gamification, (b) neurodegenerative diseases, and (c) motor rehabilitation. This review adhered to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. For both the initial and updated searches, as well as duplicate removal, two blinded reviewers screened titles and abstracts in Covidence, followed by full-text review. All conflicts were resolved via consensus meetings.
Results
Notably, 28 studies met the inclusion criteria, with the majority involving participants with Parkinson’s disease ( n = 17/28, 60.7%). Rehabilitation targets most commonly fell within the physical therapy discipline ( n = 15/28, 53.6%) and least commonly within speech-language pathology ( n = 4/28, 14.3%), including gross, fine, voice/speech, and swallowing motor skills. Over half of the studies ( n = 16/28, 57.1%) reported motor skill improvements following game-based interventions, with treatment intensity and feedback influencing outcomes.
Conclusions
Research on game-based motor rehabilitation is growing, yet the evidence remains preliminary, heterogeneous, and limited in generalizability. Most studies focus on Parkinson’s disease, with emerging work in multiple sclerosis, highlighting the need for further research on effectiveness, implementation, and long-term outcomes (e.g., quality of life and adherence).