JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a rapidly growing neurological condition worldwide. While physiotherapy and exercise are effective interventions, the addition of motivational aspects that improve adherence could be beneficial for people with PD. Incorporating technological devices into motor rehabilitation, coupled with gamification elements, could enhance the relevance of rehabilitation and alleviate motor symptoms.

Objective:

The aim of this scoping review was to identify and classify the technological devices integrating gamification elements used in motor rehabilitation in PD, and to describe the justification behind the use of these devices and elements in this context.

Methods:

We conducted a Scoping Review following the framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley, along with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Major health science databases (Medline, Cinahl, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane, PsycInfo, and Epistemonikos) were systematically searched. Relevant studies were included if they utilized technological interventions with gamification elements for motor symptom rehabilitation in PD. Gamification elements were extracted and categorized based on established frameworks, and content analysis was used to review the justifications for the use of technologies integrating gamification.

Results:

A total of 3,681 studies were retrieved from the search. After abstract and full-text screening, 81 studies were eligible for data extraction. The analysis identified 453 gamification elements across studies, with Development and Accomplishment being the most prominent core drive. Progress/Feedback was the most frequently used element (97.53% of studies), followed by Points (86.42%) and Levels/Progression (81.48%). Other notable elements included Badges, Leaderboards, and Customization, while several core drives, like Ownership and Possession, lacked reported elements. Expected roles of technology were clear, but intentional use of gamification was scarce. Almost half of all studies used off-the-shelf commercial videogames to deliver their rehabilitation intervention.

Conclusions:

This scoping review highlights the widespread adoption of technologies integrating gamification elements for motor symptom rehabilitation in individuals with PD. However, it also underscores a critical gap in understanding and justifying gamification mechanics. The current landscape relies heavily on commercial video games and emphasizes performance-based experiences, lacking theoretical grounding. Clinical Trial: This Scoping Review is registered at the Open Science Framework database (OSF.IO/TX3D9)