A new game designed to treat some ADHD symptoms in kids aged 8-12 has been officially approved by the The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, meaning that anyone who wants to attempt treating children with the game needs to get a prescription first.
As AP report, it’s not only the first time the organisation has approved the use of “digital therapy” for the treatment of ADHD, but it’s also “the first time the agency has ever authorized marketing of a game-based therapy for any condition”.
The game, called EndeavorRx, uses a combination of sensory and motor challenges to “help the player improve cognitive functioning”.
You can see a trailer courtesy of The Verge below, who also note that the game is based on a study by doctors who...were on the developer’s payroll. Hrm.
DISCUSSION
Requiring a prescription sounds scummy. I mean, I can imagine it being an approved therapy, but requiring further regulation like a physical chemical just seems like a way to squeeze money out of parents.