The video game prescribed by doctors to treat ADHD

Image source, Kelcey Sihanourath

Kelcey Sihanourath is happy that her son Owain picked up his iPad.

He was diagnosed with ADD in pre-school.

Owain's family has taken him to see occupational therapists to help him deal with everyday life tasks.

After the prescribed drugs made the boy sick, they stopped trying the medication route.

Kelcey said she was hoping for something more, for any other option, with Owain's school performance still being affected by his ADD.

She says he was struggling to understand why he wasn't able to focus and that he was frustrated when he tried so hard. I felt useless after it broke my heart.

Help came in the end from a computer game, which initially seemed very confusing.

Image source, Akili

The game is only available on prescription in the US. You control an alien that is racing on a spaceship and has to collect things.

The brain areas that play a key role in attention function were stimulated and improved in the app-based game.

The idea is that it will help a child with attention deficit disorder by training them to ignore distraction and to use a computer to measure their performance.

The child's parents are sent an activation link before the game starts.

Image source, Akili

Owain started playing the game for 25 minutes a day after Kelcey was a little skeptical. Last year, he did another round.

She says that he admitted it was a bit harder than he thought. He knew that he was doing it to improve his focus. He was still motivated despite the difficulties that came with it.

She kept a record of Owain's behavior in the app after each of his sessions.

She began to see a change in his behavior. It was easier to get ready for school, and there were no negative messages from teachers.

Owain got As and Bs after failing fifth grade.

Kelcey says it has been great to see her son succeed but also have confidence in himself. He doesn't understand why he doesn't get it.

The chief executive of Akili says the game has been designed to increase cognitive progress.

Image source, Akili

It is very difficult to take a pill. It has been proven that sensory stimuli can cause changes in the brain.

The game is going to be launched in Europe in the next few years.

Doctors and other medical professionals can use computer games to detect and diagnose mental health issues.

One game requires the user to memorise moving objects while another tests their memory by playing a card game.

In addition to how well the patient performs in the game, their comments and facial expressions are also monitored by the app, which uses their computer or mobile phone's camera and microphone.

Dr Molimpakis received her PhD in linguistics, cognitive psychology and experimental neuroscience from University College London. She is the co-owner of the business with Dr. Goria, who has a PhD in theoretical physics.

Image source, Thymia

Dr Goria says the app can be used to understand depression symptoms.

Akili and Thymia say that their apps should not be used as a substitute for doctor-led monitoring and treatments. A psychologist from the UK agrees.

Current patient evaluation questionnaires, which have been tested and accepted for reliability and validity, as well as doctors' input, and also alongside other treatments, are not in isolation.

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While the use of video games in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of mental health conditions is still in the early stages, it seems to have potential according to a UK psychologist.

He says that engaging with a game can remove some of the feelings of being tested and measured. Mental health games have the ability to widen access and track variations in the data they collect over time.

It has the potential to be an early indicator and show patterns that we can't currently see.