Gamification and neurogaming to improve motor coordination and cognitive abilities in musicians and athletes

The present study aims to evaluate the effects of gamified and neurogaming-based training methods, compared to traditional training, on motor coordination and cognitive functions (attention and memory) among music and sports students. The sample comprised 308 undergraduate students aged 18-21 years (M = 20.59; SD = 1.63), who were randomly assigned to one of six groups: traditional training, gamified training, or neurogaming-based training, separately for music students and sports students. The intervention lasted 12 weeks, with training sessions held three times per week for 120 min each. In the experimental groups, one training session per week was replaced with a gamified or neurogaming-based session. Assessment employed standardized instruments, including the Hand-Eye Coordination Measuring Tool (HECMT), the Conners Continuous Performance Test-3 (CPT-3), and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition (WMS-IV). The most substantial short-term improvement in motor coordination was observed among sports students who participated in neurogaming-based training: their mean score increased from 54.91 to 62.53 (p ≤ .001). All digital intervention groups demonstrated statistically significant short-term gains in attention, with the most pronounced improvements recorded among sports students engaged in neurogaming, who showed notable enhancement during the intervention period across all CPT-3 subscales (p ≤ .001). In terms of memory performance, preliminary results indicated that the greatest gains were recorded for both music and sports students undergoing neurogaming-based training. By contrast, control groups following traditional training protocols exhibited statistically nonsignificant changes. Overall, the findings suggest that both gamification and neurogaming approaches may contribute to short-term improvements in attention, memory, and coordination. These outcomes provide initial support for the potential integration of such methodologies into training programs for music and sports students.