A serious game for the cognitive stimulation of seniors

Abstract

With the increasing number of elderly individuals in the Portuguese population and the consequent rise in cognitive decline associated with normal aging, there is a growing need to invest in mental health. This investment can be realized through the promotion of active aging and cognitive stimulation. Developing interactive tools that provide stimulation and motivation for everyday activities proves to be an effective strategy in slowing down cognitive decline. These tools aim to simulate familiar everyday scenarios for end-users, thereby encouraging regular use. This project focuses on the design and implementation of a platform to assist in evaluating and training the cognitive capacities of adults. The platform facilitates early awareness of cognitive deficiencies and stimulates users with pre-clinical symptoms, eliminating the need for visits to a medical office. It presents an innovative alternative to traditional tests conducted in clinical environments. Specifically, the platform recreates scenarios encountered during appointments with psychologists, transforming them into a game consisting of minigames. These minigames mimic real-world tasks, enabling a seamless integration of users' daily life results and enhancing their interaction with the environment. This approach aims to prevent the stress often associated with traditional cognitive stimulation programs and yield more accurate results without the pressure of a clinical setting. The primary goal is to develop a serious game that efficiently links simulation results to the daily activities of the targeted audience. This game adapts a scientifically validated cognitive training program to an Information Technology (IT) platform. The most significant outcome of this work is the cognitive stimulation of users and the effective integration of stimulation results. Through this serious game, the project strives to promote active aging, cognitive stimulation, and mental health using an interactive platform tailored to individual everyday life and activities.

Keywords: Assessment, Attention, Cognitive Decline, Cognitive Stimulation, Educational Games, Memory, Orientation, Serious Games Assessment

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004479