Can video games boost fitness and brain power in down syndrome?

NCT ID NCT06617637

Symptom relief Sponsor: Bezmialem Vakif University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This completed study tested whether playing an aerobic-based virtual reality game (exergame) on Xbox Kinect could improve physical fitness, functional capacity, and cognitive function in 44 adults with Down syndrome, compared to traditional treadmill exercise. Participants did either the exergame or treadmill training, and researchers measured outcomes like balance, walking distance, and executive function. The goal is to see if fun, game-based exercise can be a good alternative to standard workouts.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: aerobic-based virtual reality exercise training (exergame) and traditional aerobic exercise training
What this could lead to: If exergames prove as effective as traditional exercise, they could offer a more engaging way for people with Down syndrome to improve physical fitness and cognitive function.
What could go wrong: This is a small, completed study with only 44 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The findings are preliminary and need confirmation in larger trials.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

44 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2024

Finished

Nov 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

13 to 18 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * According to DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V) criteria, individuals with Down syndrome with mild to moderate intellectual disability * Being able to understand the instructions in the assessment and exercise program * Being willing to participate in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Having participated in any structured exercise program in the last 6 months before participating in the study * Having any heart disease or other chronic physical, behavioral or cognitive problems that limit their participation in the exercise program * Having severe visual or auditory problems * Having any history of surgery affecting musculoskeletal structures

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Down syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Aerobic exercise Cognitive function Down syndrome Exergame Functional capacity Physical fitness Virtual reality based therapy

Can video games boost fitness and brain power in down syndrome?

What the study statuses mean