Action Video Games Training in Children with Developmental Dyslexia: A Meta-Analysis

Longitudinal studies and meta-analyses have shown a causal link between attentional dysfunctions and developmental dyslexia (DD). We carried out a meta-analysis to test the effectiveness of action video games (AVGs) training on visual attention in children with DD. PubMed, Cochrane, Science Report, EBSCO Database, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses, and IEEE Explore were consulted. Only quantitative studies with measures of pre- and post-treatment reading skills, written in English, and with an active control group were considered. The risk of bias was evaluated according to RoB2 and ROBINS-I assessment tools. Out of 2073 records, nine experiments using AVGs in 238 children (aged 5–15) with DD were selected. The Hedge’s g results indicate that AVGs training affects visual attention as well as reading-related functions. Studies with a larger sample including follow-up assessments and neurobiological studies are needed to verify AVGs long-lasting effects on DD. HIGHLIGHTS: Action video games (AVGs) improve learning by attention enhancement. Attention is dysfunctional in children with developmental dyslexia (DD). AVGs training improves visual attention and reading speed in children with DD. AVGs training also boosts phonological processing (far transfer) in children with DD. Further studies are needed to confirm long-lasting effects of AVGs in children with DD.