From Reward to Memory Consolidation: A Systematic Review of Dopaminergic Mechanisms in Educational Gamification

Mirhosseini H; Mokhtarezadeh  MM; Zamani N; Yazdaninejad H

doi:10.18502/jmed.v20i3.20640

Mirhosseini H Associate Professor, Department of psychiatry, Research center of addiction and behavioral sciences, Non-communicable Diseases Research Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Mokhtarezadeh MM Medical Student, Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Zamani N MSc student in medical surgical nursing, Student Research Committee, Nursing and Midwifery school, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
Yazdaninejad H Department of Operating Room and Anesthesiology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jmed.v20i3.20640

Keywords: Gamification, Dopamine, Memory Consolidation, Reward Prediction Error, Medical Education

Abstract

Introduction: Gamification has emerged as a novel strategy to enhance motivation and effectiveness in medical education. However, the neuroscientific underpinnings that explain its efficacy remain largely unexplored. This Systematic review aims to elucidate the dopaminergic mechanisms involved in gamified learning and their link to memory consolidation.

Method: For this narrative review, databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SID, Irandoc, and Magiran were searched for articles published between 2010 and 2025. Keywords such as "dopamine," "gamification," "memory consolidation," and "Reward Prediction Error" were used. Selected articles underwent screening and were then qualitatively synthesized and analyzed.

Results: Findings indicate that the dopaminergic Reward Prediction Error signal drives learning. Dopamine release in response to unexpected rewards enhances memory consolidation by activating the hippocampal-ventral tegmental area (VTA) loop. Gamification elements leverage the brain’s reward system to reinforce learning behavior by engineering these positive RPE signals.

Conclusion: It is concluded that gamification is not merely a tool for increasing engagement but rather a cognitive intervention that directly affects learning and memory by utilizing neural reward mechanisms. Medical education designers should move beyond superficial approaches and focus on neuroscientific principles—particularly the creation of uncertainty and surprise in reward delivery—to optimize learning processes.