Akili states that the most common side effects for kids suffering from ADHD impairments are frustration and headache. (Image: Akili)
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted clearance for Akili’s EndeavorRx to be used as a prescription treatment for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is the first-ever video game that can be prescribed as a medicine in the US. With this decision, doctors across the US will be able to prescribe the game for kids between ages eight and 12 suffering from ADHD.
To recall, the game was initially called Project EVO and it underwent five clinical studies in seven years. These studies consisted of over 600 children to find out if the game actually affected their behaviour or not. After these studies were conducted, one study suggested that one out of three kids were treated and “no longer had a measurable attention deficit on at least one measure of objective attention,” after playing the game for 25 minutes a day, five days a week for four weeks.
Akili states that the most common side effects for kids suffering from ADHD impairments are frustration and headache. The company says these side effects are much milder when compared to traditional drugs.
It states that around half of parents meaningful changes in their child’s day-to-day impairments after a month of treatment. This increased to 68 per cent in the second month. The improvements made via the help of the EndeavorRx game were maintained for up to a month in the studies done by Akili.
EndeavorRx is only the beginning. The company plans to launch another software, called Akili Care. Akili Care will be a mobile tracking app and personal support services for caregivers. Both of these will be packaged and distributed under the Endeavor Care Program.
EndeavorRx will be made available on the Apple App Store soon. The company has not revealed details regarding, if and when it will be launching the game on Android. In a press release, the company said that it has provided access to a limited number of families under the FDA’s relaxed COVID-19 enforcement and will soon be making it available for everyone. As of now, you can join the waitlist on the company’s website to download the app, if you want to try.
Note: At the bottom of the study the company disclosed that the results “are not sufficient to suggest that AKL-T01 should be used as an alternative to established and recommended treatments for ADHD.”