Boston-based company Akili Interactive’s EndeavorRX made history by becoming the first-ever video game to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a medical treatment.
While users will be able to download it from their mobile devices’ app store — and it doesn’t need any special equipment — it’s intended for use as part of a therapeutic program, which could also include medication and other types of therapy. Eddie Martucci, the chief executive officer of EndeavorRx’s developer Akili, said in a statement:
“With EndeavorRx, we’re using technology to help treat a condition in an entirely new way as we directly target neurological function through medicine that feels like entertainment. Families are looking for new ways to help their children with ADHD. With today’s decision by FDA, we’re excited to offer families a first-of-its-kind non-drug treatment option and take an important first step toward our goal to help all people living with cognitive issues.”
In the game, players steer a flying craft through obstacle courses where they have to avoid hazards, like fire pits or underwater mines, while collecting targets. Akili recommends that children who are prescribed the game play for 25-30 minutes a day, five days a week, for four weeks.
Once a physician prescribes the game to a child with ADHD, the child should aim to complete five missions in the allotted time, Akili says in the game’s promotional materials. After those five missions are complete, the game will not allow them to play any further missions until the following day.
Akili’s team of neuroscientists and tech designers developed EndeavorRX to improve children’s attention spans, using algorithms that can adapt the game in real-time to adjust the difficulty level depending on who is playing in order to personalise the treatment.
