The Food and Drug Administration has given the OK for the first video game-based treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
EndeavorRx from Akili Interactive Labs was approved Monday, The Associated Press reported. It is available by prescription for children between 8 and 12 years old with specific types of ADHD, CNN reported.
It will be used in conjunction with therapy, medication and learning programs after it was tested on more than 600 children.
EndeavorRx can be downloaded onto a mobile device and the children can control an avatar on a hoverboard through a racecourse, the AP reported. They should, according to the game’s publishers, play it five days a week for 30 minutes a day for a month.
About 4 million children have some symptoms of ADHD including having a hard time staying focused and not being able to control their behavior.
The game was said to improve the attention of the children tested. It did come with some side effects, such as frustration, headache, dizziness, emotional reaction and aggression. But the FDA said the side effects were not serious, CNN reported.