The FDA Has Approved a Video-Game to Assist With ADHD Treatment

In news that I found interesting, the FDA has approved prescribing a video-game as a part of ADHD treatment. "EndeavorRX," is a game that serves as medicine of sorts, designed to assist children with ADHD in maintaining their attention span. It has been emphasized this is not a replacement treatment for medication or therapies, but another supplement recommended for families to maybe try if they have children between the ages of 8-12. There were seven years of clinical trials that studied over 600 children and it was observed in the studies there was a positive effect. One study found that 1/3 of the children benefited playing the obstacle-dodging, target-collecting game for 25 minutes a day, five days a week for four weeks, having a measurable degree less attention-deficit.

Now, these were studies by doctors who work for the game’s developer, according to disclosures, so that's one thing to consider. Still, if playing a video-game in addition to other methods of treatment can help young boys and girls with ADHD, that's pretty snazzy. This isn't the first time video-games have been used in medical settings, but among the first where it is a prescribable treatment. I just wonder how else games might be used in other medical ways as time goes on.