Swimming with a virtual dolphin could boost brain power after injury
NCT ID NCT04073225
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether playing an immersive video game called Bandit the Dolphin could improve thinking and movement in adults who had a traumatic brain injury years ago. The game involves moving your arms to control a dolphin in an ocean environment, combining physical and mental challenges. Twenty-three people aged 40 and older completed the 12-week program, and researchers measured changes in memory, attention, and brain scans.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Bandit the Dolphin video game (a device-based immersive cognitive-motor intervention)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new, engaging way to improve thinking and movement after a traumatic brain injury, potentially lowering the risk of later dementia.
- What could go wrong
- This was a very small, early study with only 23 participants and no control group. Results may not apply to everyone, and the game may not provide lasting benefits.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Johns Hopkins Bayview
Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States
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