The adaptation of the GameSquad exergaming intervention for young adults with Down syndrome: A pilot feasibility study.
Kameron Suire, Brian C Helsel, April Bowling and 4 others
PMID 39668064WHAT IT FOUND
Young adults with Down syndrome completed 12 weeks of home Ring Fit Adventure with weekly Zoom coaching: 19 of 20 stayed in the study, most reached gameplay goals, and sessions often reached moderate intensity.
No serious adverse events were reported.
Key findings
0119 of 20 enrolled participants completed the study, and they attended an average of 93% of the 12 coaching sessions.
02Participants met their weekly gameplay goals about 90% of the time, and no serious adverse events were reported.
03Recorded gameplay sessions reached moderate-intensity heart-rate criteria 66% of the time, and lab-based energy expenditure averaged 3.4 METs, consistent with moderate intensity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This was a small single-arm pilot with 20 participants and no control group, so it cannot show that the intervention caused any change. Participants received both home Ring Fit Adventure and weekly Zoom coaching, so the contribution of either part alone cannot be separated. The study lasted 12 weeks, which is too short to know whether people would keep playing or form lasting habits. It included young adults with Down syndrome who could understand directions and communicate through spoken language and who had a parent or caregiver available, so results may not apply to people with more communication needs or without caregiver support. Fitbit data were available for only 16 participants because three had too few recorded sessions, and device accuracy in this group was variable. Energy expenditure was measured in a laboratory, not at home, so it may not match normal gameplay.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that Ring Fit Adventure improves health or physical function in young adults with Down syndrome. It was a 12-week single-arm pilot with 20 participants and no control group, so it only shows that retention, attendance, adherence, safety, and session intensity were feasible in this small sample.