As part of the game, children steer an avatar through a course dotted with obstacles, and collect targets on the way to earn rewards.
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can now be treated using a video game. ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that can lead to above-normal levels of hyperactive and impulsive behaviour. Children with ADHD have trouble focussing their attention on a single task or sitting for a long time.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first video game-based treatment called EndeavorRx for ADHD, reported CNN. The game is aimed at children between the ages eight and 12 with certain types of ADHD.
The video game will however be used alongside other treatments such as clinician-directed therapy, medication and educational programmes.
About four million children between the ages six and eleven are affected by ADHD.
“The EndeavorRx device offers a non-drug option for improving symptoms associated with ADHD in children and is an important example of the growing field of digital therapy and digital therapeutics,” Dr Jeffrey Shuren, director of FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement.
The game can be downloaded on one’s mobile device as an app, which was authorised for marketing after the FDA reviewed five clinical studies including more than 600 children.
As part of the game, children steer an avatar through a course dotted with obstacles, and collect targets on the way to earn rewards.
The video game has been created by a company called Akili, who proposed to get children to interact with the game for abour 30 minutes per day, five days a week over the course of a one-month treatment cycle.
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