Unlocking Young Minds: A Pilot Study of Japi 2.0 – A Revolutionary Gaming Platform for Cognitive Development in Early Childhood

Background:

Mental health conditions rank among the primary contributors to illness worldwide. The significance of psychosocial abilities developed in early childhood, including executive functions, inhibitory control, emotional regulation, and social problem-solving, in mitigating mental disorders has been noted. Additionally, the delivery of mental health care is progressing, with mobile technology emerging as the medium for assessment and intervention. We have introduced Japi 2.0, the second version of a gaming platform designed to enhance cognitive and non-cognitive skills in early childhood, aided by early years educators through a unified web-based dashboard system. This research intends to evaluate the acceptability and practicality of this gaming platform along with the web-based dashboards.

Methods:

This is a pilot randomized controlled trial of a parallel-group design, comparing the school-based implementation of “Japi 2.0” training against the standard school curricula in control institutions. Six schools characterized by low socio-economic status in Santiago, Chile, are anticipated to be recruited and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio. Japi 2.0 comprises 24 sessions, where 2 sessions of 15 minutes each will be conducted weekly over a 12-week span. Evaluations will be carried out using various instruments involving children, parents, and early years educators to gather insights regarding their acceptance of the intervention and the enhancement of cognitive and non-cognitive skills.

Discussion:

This randomized control trial aims to evaluate the acceptability and practicality of a gaming platform named “Japi 2.0” among preschool children in Chile. This platform is designed to foster cognitive and non-cognitive skills with the ultimate goal of alleviating emotional and behavioral issues in early childhood. Assessing the acceptability and feasibility of this technological solution for children is anticipated to yield valuable insights concerning these innovative designs, potentially informing future research, including larger-scale randomized controlled trials.

Trial registration:

Clinical Trials NCT06420544, May 20, 2024 [

Clinicaltrials:

gov/study/NCT06420544 ].