Video Game Boosts Focus for Kids with ADHD
On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the marketing of EndeavorRx, a prescription treatment delivered through a video game. The decision opened a new path for digital medicine: software designed and tested for a specific health purpose. Developed by Akili Interactive Labs, EndeavorRx was intended to improve attention function in certain children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
The original authorization covered children ages 8 to 12 with primarily inattentive or combined-type ADHD and a demonstrated attention problem. The treatment looked like a game, but its purpose was more specific than entertainment. Its software presented challenges involving movement and visual information, adjusting the difficulty as the player responded. These tasks challenged the player to manage competing demands on attention.
A major study behind the decision was called STARS-ADHD. It involved 348 children ages 8 to 12 who had ADHD and were not taking ADHD medication during the study. Researchers randomly assigned 180 children to the treatment game, then known as AKL-T01, and 168 to a different digital game used for comparison. Both groups played at home on tablets over four weeks.
- Digital therapeutic:
- Software developed and tested to serve a specific treatment purpose.
- Random assignment:
- Placing participants into study groups by chance.
- Comparison group:
- A group whose results help researchers evaluate those of another group.
- Attention:
- The ability to focus on information or an activity.
- Statistically significant:
- Meeting a statistical standard set to evaluate evidence of a difference or effect.
- Adverse event:
- An unwanted health event recorded during a study; it is not automatically caused by the treatment.
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- 1What did the FDA authorize on June 15, 2020?
- 2Which company developed EndeavorRx?
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About this news article passage for Middle School
“Video Game Boosts Focus for Kids with ADHD” is a news article reading passage about ADHD and Video Games, written for Middle School. It takes about 3 minutes to read (478 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.