Eye-guided video games improve reading in healthy older adults

Aim: This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of a custom-built eye-guided video game to improve visuomotor, visual, and attentional skills involved in reading in healthy older adults. Method: Forty healthy participants aged over 65 were included in the study. They underwent a battery of cognitive, visual, attentional, and reading tests to assess their initial cognitive performance and register changes after a training period. Only the experimental group (N=19) performed training sessions with three eye-guided video games (Gamabunta, No Remora, and Umbrella); each session lasted 45 minutes and was administered twice a week for 5 weeks. The control group (N=21) underwent the assessments before and after the same time but did not engage in any training. Results: Only participants in the experimental group improved their reading and visual abilities. Specifically, after the training, they showed a decrease in reading time, a reduction in the number and duration of fixations, and an increase in the amplitude of saccades. Furthermore, improvements in contrast sensitivity and the perception of near vision quality (NAVQ) were registered in the training group after the training. Instead, no changes in attentional parameters were observed. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that eye-guided video games enhance reading abilities in healthy older individuals, without training reading directly. This could be due to an improvement in basic oculomotor and visual skills.