The benefits of Serious Games (SG) can be explained by several mechanisms. One such mechanism is gamification, a trending technique in eHealth interventions that promotes behavioral change and user engagement (Hamari et al., 2014). In children, the rewarding effects of video games may be of particular importance in increasing adherence. Video games may not be perceived as a treatment or imposition by their caregivers, which may be less burdensome for children. Video games can also increase participation, motivation and a sense of action. However, novelty seeking is a strong feature of ADHD. Therefore, long-term commitment can be more problematic download.
Some of the games reviewed in recent years have shown that the use of Serious Games (SG) in children with ADHD led to an improvement in concentration and a normalization of brain functioning in patients (Peñuelas-Calvo et al., 2020).
A critical challenge is the development of SG alongside technology-enhanced learning approaches such as augmented reality (AR). AR is the integration of digital and physical information in real time that enables user interaction with a virtual and real world. This emerging new technology holds great promise because it motivates students with new challenges, providing rapid feedback that is tailored to specific interests and individual needs. These Augmented Reality Serious Games (ARSG) could capture their attention and improve the communication process using experimentation and simulation manipulated by physical movements (interface), working in real environments with virtual elements to achieve the augmented effects (Peñuelas-Calvo et al., 2020).
Advertisement Additionally, there is an urgent need for innovative care for children with ADHD, using technology that adapts to requirements through gameplay and movement based on a natural user interface. ARSGs, offer endless possibilities for more natural interaction through sensors, which will be able to recognize hand and body gestures, making it an ideal tool to provide creativity to therapeutic activities combined with ARSGs. Thanks to their characteristics, ARSGs can go to reduce the loss of interest typical of children with ADHD and consequently increase long-term commitment.
Some examples of applications using ADHD SGs that exploit immersive environments to assess attention deficits in children with ADHD.
Against this backdrop, ADHD studies focus on multiple elements such as executive functions, working memory, and cognitive flexibility:
VR clinic: classroom-CPT, which provides links between the neuropsychological evaluation in the neuropsychologist’s office, in a controlled environment and where the child is met alone, and what happens instead in a context in which the child has to manage many types of stimuli, such as at school. It therefore seems interesting to add this type of clinical analysis to the traditional neuropsychological evaluation process.
