Eye-guided video games improve reading in healthy older adults

In aging, some visual and attentional skills can decrease, affecting reading performance. This study investigates the feasibility and potential efficacy of a custom-built eye-guided video game to train visuo-motor, visual and attentional skills involved in reading on healthy older adults. For this purpose, 40 healthy participants, over 65 years old, were enrolled. The experimental group (N = 21) completed a series of cognitive, visual, attentional, and reading tests to assess the initial general cognitive performance and evaluate changes after the training period. The training consisted of 45-min sessions twice weekly for 5 weeks. The control group (N = 19) underwent the same assessment before and after the same temporal interval, but without training. Analyses showed that only participants who underwent the oculomotor training experienced an improvement in reading. Specifically, at the post-training assessment, the experimental group recorded a decrease in reading time, a reduction in the number and duration of fixations, and an increase in the amplitude of saccades. Changes emerged for visual tests, while no change was found concerning attentional parameters. In summary, the study confirmed the potential of eye-guided video game training in improving reading in healthy older people as well as the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial.