Development and effects of computer-based working memory games using simulated real-life activities on working memory and basic activities of daily living in stroke patients

Abstract

The aims of this study were to develop a computer-based working memory game using simulated real-life activities and to evaluate its effects with stroke patients. In addition, this study aimed to investigate patients’ user experience with the newly developed game. This study adopted a quasi-experimental one-group, pretest-posttest design. The participants were fourteen cognitively impaired stroke patients screened by the Mental State Examination (MSET10). Fourteen participants were treated both with a traditional occupational therapy treatment at Buriram Hospital and with the developed computer based working memory game using simulated real-life activities, for a period consisting of 4 consecutive weeks, 3 times a week, with 30-45 minutes per session. The used outcome assessments adopted in this study included the Digit Span Forward and Backward Test, the Thai Cognitive-Perceptual Test (Thai-CPT), the Activities of Daily Living Assessment Tool (ADL-AT), and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). User experience was assessed by using the Test of Satisfaction on Computer-Based Working Memory Game (developed in this study). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with the goal to analyze the demographic characteristics of the sample and the user experience. Additionally, the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test was used for comparing the scores of working memory and basic activities of daily living. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05.