Video games to rehabilitate and improve the cognitive skills of people with cognitive impairment: A special perspective to cognitive health in the elderly

Video games are the most modern and sophisticated form of media in the present, which attracts millions of children and adults worldwide. The various effects of different types of video games on the psychological characteristics of gamers have been studied over the years. The serious effects of these games on cognitive and emotional characteristics such as memory, concentration, visual-motor skills, reasoning, problem solving, depression and psychological well-being lead to appliy them for cognitive rehabilitation and improve skills in amateur gamers such as elderly people with cognitive decline and patients with Alzheimer's. In this review article that conducted in 2019, the manuscripts were searched from the Web of science, PubMed and Scopus databases. All articles were in English, and researches have entered the process of analysis that carried out since 2000 to now. The results showed that video games improve performance and rehabilitation in individuals through sensory, cognitive and emotional effects. The first group of studies focused on progress in basic visual processes, consciousness and attention, enhancement of executive function and improvement in occupational skills in all ages. The second group of researches focused on preventing mental decline and memory loss related to aging, impact The positive effects of active games on visual-motor skills of eldrely, as well as the promotion of self-esteem, emotional balance and social skills through online games. The results of the present study show that video games play a role in improving the cognitive abilities of individuals, especially the elderly, more than previously thought.