A new audio-visual treatment for ADHD is now available to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The treatment is a video game for ADHD and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves it
It comes as no surprise that such a treatment would excite children to use it. The game makes history by being the first video game be in use as a medical treatment.
EndeavorRx is the name of the specially made video game. On Monday EndeavorRx got approval for use as a medical treatment. Prescription is only developed for 12 or eight-year-old children with specific types of disorder.
The video game is to be in use in combination with other types of treatments. Clinician-directed therapy, educational programs, and medication are all types of treatments suitable for combination use.
Also read: Vitamin D Deficiency Increases the Risk of ADHD In Newborns
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is fairly common. People usually receive a diagnosis as children but the disorder can last well into adulthood.
ADHD affects about 4 million children aged 6 to eleven. The symptoms of the disorder include difficulty in keeping focus, problems controlling behavior, and shorter attention spans. The behavior may differ between genders
A video game for ADHD treatment is the first of its kind. This is also the first game to receive permissions for marketing by the FDA, the agency says.
The EndeavorRx device gives an option devoid of drugs for improving symptoms associated with ADHD. It is a significant example of the increasingly growing field of therapy using digital mediums and digital therapeutics, says Jeffrey Shuren, director of FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
FDA reviewed five clinical studies before giving the green light for the app to be made available as a mobile app. The clinical studies had over 600 children as subjects. FDA approved the game for marketing after the review.
The game previously known as ‘Project EVO’ went through seven long years of trials to make this treatment a beneficial reality for many.
The agency notes a few negative effects. You may expect frustration, dizziness, headache, emotional reaction, and aggression but such experiences are not serious or dangerous. These side effects are mild unlike those given by drugs and traditional medication.
The game leads children to select and play an avatar through a scape constellated with problems. They collect targets in order to earn rewards in the game. The game includes landscapes like rivers of molten lavas and icy-scapes of wonder.
Akili believes the video game works as a delivery system with the help of targeted algorithms. These algorithms can strengthen and activate specific neural pathways of the brain. It rivals countless other digital health apps. But it remains as one of the few with the credible improvement shown in patients.
Akili, the creator company of the video game for ADHD, recommends the children play the game for 30 minutes every day. 5 days a week is a must over a one month cycle of treatment.
Akili’s representative says the game shows attention functions in the target subjects have improved significantly.
CEO of Akili says he is happy to make history with the game after receiving the FDA’s approval.
