Autistic Youth, Nintendo Exergaming Group, No Intervention Control GroupNCT07720427
COMPARING EFFECTS OF NINTENDO EXERGAMING TO A NO INTERVENTION CONTROL GROUP
A study testing Nintendo Switch Exergaming in people with Autistic Youth, Nintendo Exergaming Group, No Intervention Control Group, run by University of Delaware at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This is a pilot randomized clinical trial to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of delivering a Nintendo Switch exergaming (NE group) intervention in a group of autistic youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between 5 and 30 years compared to an age-matched, no intervention… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 5 to 30 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Autistic Youth, Nintendo Exergaming Group, No Intervention Control Group
- What is being tested?
- Nintendo Switch Exergaming
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 2 May 2023to 26 Mar 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 5 to 30 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- A school or medical record of holding an autism diagnosis
Who cannot join
- Did not follow 1 to 2-step instructions at the pretest.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Health Sciences Campus, University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware, 19060
About this study
Official title: Exergaming Intervention Study
This is a pilot randomized clinical trial to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of delivering a Nintendo Switch exergaming (NE group) intervention in a group of autistic youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between 5 and 30 years compared to an age-matched, no intervention control group of autistic youth (Control group) .
Read the detailed description
Parents of each ASD participant completed a screening form and the parent and participant completed an additional screening interview before participating in a pretest visit to confirm study eligibility.
After the motor and cognitive pretests and parent questionnaires were completed and eligibility was confirmed, each participant was randomly assigned to the Nintendo exergaming (NE) intervention or no intervention control group.
Each participant in the NE group received 8 weeks of exergaming intervention for 45-60 minutes per session @2 sessions per week. After the intervention period was completed motor and cognitive posttests and parent questionnaires were completed to assess preliminary outcomes.
We also completed feasibility and acceptability measures using parent, trainer, and child surveys.
- Being tested
- Nintendo Switch Exergaming
- Keywords
- Autism, Youth, Nintendo Switch, Exergames, Control, RCT
- Medical subject headings
- Autistic Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Nintendo Switch ExergamingBehavioural
Each exergaming intervention session included RingFit warm-up, RingFit Adventure Games to target multiple motor domains including body coordination, strength, and endurance and the Nintendo Switch Sports virtual sports targeted body coordination and visuomotor skills.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch Exergaming | Experimental | This group received 8 weeks of Nintendo Switch Exergaming Intervention @ 2 days per week for 45-60 minutes per session. Pretests and posttests were completed before and after this period. Receives: Behavioral: Nintendo Switch Exergaming |
| No Intervention Control Group | No intervention | This group received 8 weeks of business as usual control period. Pretests and posttests were completed before and after this period. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Performance
The BOT-2 is a standardized motor test that is a reliable and valid motor measure for youth between the ages of 4 to 21 years (Bruininks \& Bruininks, 2005). Participants' gross motor skills were assessed using the balance (BAL), bilateral coordination (BLC), strength (STN), and agility (AGIL) subtests of BOT-2. Subtests are combined to provide a body coordination (BC, includes BAL and BLC), strength/agility (SA, includes STR and AGIL) and manual coordination (MC, includes MD and ULC) composite standard score at pretest and posttest. Change in composite standard scores (BC, SA, and MC) were assessed between pretest and posttest performance.
Measured: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Secondary outcomes (5)
Bilateral Motor Coordination Subtest of there Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT-BMC) Battery
The SIPT BMC subtest assesses a youth's ability to imitate 22 novel hand and feet rhythmic actions shown by the tester. During the test, the tester asks the child to repeat bilateral rhythmic sequences of the hands or feet. An error occurrs if the youth does correctly imitate the sequence or rhythm of the tester's movements. A spatial error was scored if the youth's scale or pattern of movement differed from that of the tester. A temporal error occurred if the youth paused during the motor sequence, or moved slow/fast compared to tester. Total spatial and temporal errors were calculated across all imitated actions at pretest and posttest.
Measured: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCD-Q)
Parents completed the 15-item motor screening tool to report their child's fine- motor, gross-motor, and general coordination abilities compared to their peers. The total score at pretest and posttest were compared.
Measured: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)
Parents completed the BRIEF to assess the youth's executive functioning skills during everyday tasks. The total score at pretest and posttest was compared.
Measured: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Computerized Modified Flanker Task
All participants completed the Modified Flanker Task to assess the inhibitory control component of executive functioning. The task consisted of four experimental blocks, with incongruent and congruent conditions presented in random order within each block of 30 trials, with 15 incongruent and 15 congruent trials. a) Congruent: Five fish facing in the same direction, b) Incongruent: The outer four fish faced the same direction while the center fish faced the opposite direction. Participants were instructed to click the arrow button on the screen to indicate the direction of the center fish and to respond as quickly and accurately as possible. We compared the average reaction time at pretest and posttest.
Measured: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Computerized Modified Stroop Word-Color Task
The Stroop Task assessed the task switching, flexibility, and response inhibition components of executive functioning. The task consisted of two conditions: Color and Word. Participants were instructed to press the button on the screen to match the color of the letters shown in the color condition, or to match the spelling of the word shown in the Word condition. Each block consisted of 40 trials. Average reaction times at pretest and posttest were compared.
Measured: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Jul 2026
- Study start2 May 2023
- Primary completion26 Mar 2024
- Study completion26 Mar 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Autistic Youth, Nintendo Exergaming Group, No Intervention Control GroupStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants were confirmed study eligible, then randomly assigned to Nintendo Switch exergaming or no intervention control group. All participants completed pretest and post-tests and parent questionnaires.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Delaware
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Anjana Bhat, University of Delaware
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07720427
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1947455
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 17 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 22 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Exergaming Intervention Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07720427
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 1947455
- Keywords
- Autism, Youth, Nintendo Switch, Exergames, Control, RCT
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of DelawareUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 2 May 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 26 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 26 Mar 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 22 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This is a pilot randomized clinical trial to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of delivering a Nintendo Switch exergaming (NE group) intervention in a group of autistic youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between 5 and 30 years compared to an age-matched, no intervention control group of autistic youth (Control group) .
Detailed description
Parents of each ASD participant completed a screening form and the parent and participant completed an additional screening interview before participating in a pretest visit to confirm study eligibility.
After the motor and cognitive pretests and parent questionnaires were completed and eligibility was confirmed, each participant was randomly assigned to the Nintendo exergaming (NE) intervention or no intervention control group.
Each participant in the NE group received 8 weeks of exergaming intervention for 45-60 minutes per session @2 sessions per week. After the intervention period was completed motor and cognitive posttests and parent questionnaires were completed to assess preliminary outcomes.
We also completed feasibility and acceptability measures using parent, trainer, and child surveys.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants were confirmed study eligible, then randomly assigned to Nintendo Switch exergaming or no intervention control group. All participants completed pretest and post-tests and parent questionnaires.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch Exergaming | Experimental | Behavioral: Nintendo Switch ExergamingThis group received 8 weeks of Nintendo Switch Exergaming Intervention @ 2 days per week for 45-60 minutes per session. Pretests and posttests were completed before and after this period. |
| No Intervention Control Group | No intervention | –This group received 8 weeks of business as usual control period. Pretests and posttests were completed before and after this period. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 5 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- A school or medical record of holding an autism diagnosis
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Did not follow 1 to 2-step instructions at the pretest.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch ExergamingEach exergaming intervention session included RingFit warm-up, RingFit Adventure Games to target multiple motor domains including body coordination, strength, and endurance and the Nintendo Switch Sports virtual sports targeted body coordination and visuomotor skills. | Behavioural | Nintendo Switch Exergaming |
Primary outcome
Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Performance
Time frame: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
The BOT-2 is a standardized motor test that is a reliable and valid motor measure for youth between the ages of 4 to 21 years (Bruininks \& Bruininks, 2005). Participants' gross motor skills were assessed using the balance (BAL), bilateral coordination (BLC), strength (STN), and agility (AGIL) subtests of BOT-2. Subtests are combined to provide a body coordination (BC, includes BAL and BLC), strength/agility (SA, includes STR and AGIL) and manual coordination (MC, includes MD and ULC) composite standard score at pretest and posttest. Change in composite standard scores (BC, SA, and MC) were assessed between pretest and posttest performance.
5 secondary outcomes
Bilateral Motor Coordination Subtest of there Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT-BMC) Battery
Time frame: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCD-Q)
Time frame: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)
Time frame: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Computerized Modified Flanker Task
Time frame: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Computerized Modified Stroop Word-Color Task
Time frame: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Nintendo Switch Exergaming in people with Autistic Youth, Nintendo Exergaming Group, No Intervention Control Group, run by University of Delaware at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Performance (time frame: Pretest and posttests were conducted within 2 weeks before or after intervention, respectively.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Jul 2026.