For clinicians

Evidence library

Research on what games and play can do within occupational therapy, organized by area of practice, with each finding stated plainly and every source linked.

What the evidence shows →

By area of practice

The site's four evidence areas, with the strength of the evidence labelled.

Cognition

Games demand active participation, quick decision-making, and adaptation to changing scenarios. Within skilled therapy, they are used to work on attention, memory, mental flexibility, and executive-function skills, with the aim of carryover to daily activities.

Physical disabilities

Through motion-controlled systems and virtual environments, games let people practice targeted movement. Therapists use them to support range of motion, postural control, strengthening, and functional use of the upper limbs, as an adjunct within a plan of care.

Therapeutic exercise

Motion-controlled and interactive gameplay can make repetitive exercise more engaging. Therapists grade it toward strength, flexibility, balance, range of motion, and endurance goals: the game raises adherence and dose, the clinician provides the skilled work.

Mental health & participation

Games and play are explored within therapy to support motivation, engagement, self-efficacy, and social participation. We describe this as emerging and supportive, not as treatment for any specific condition.

Selected research

Each card carries the population, the finding, and a link to the source.

Free sample: fully visible for everyone

Virtual reality and interactive video gaming for stroke rehabilitation (Cochrane Review, update)

Verified

Laver KE, et al. · 2025

Population: 190 randomized trials · 7,188 participants · adults after stroke

Gaming ADDED to usual care (increasing therapy dose) probably improves upper-limb function, with moderate certainty (SMD 0.42). Adverse events were few and mild. The review examines many other outcomes and populations, and is candid about where evidence is stronger or still uncertain. Read it in full via the link.

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Research summaries: Cognition

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Research summaries: Physical disabilities

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Research summaries: Therapeutic exercise

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Research summaries: Mental health & participation

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This is a starter set of verified sources. More systematic reviews will be added only after the same verification pass. See SOURCES.md.

The through-line: games extend the dose of skilled therapy: more of the right practice, delivered in a form clients want to keep doing. That is what the strongest evidence supports.

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Certification includes multi-year full access to the Evidence Library, with the exact length being finalized.

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