A cell phone video game that helps kids with ADHD wean off Adderall could be downloaded in the US in months, amid an overprescription crisis for the drug.
StarRuckus, developed by Korean digital therapy company eMotiv and unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, is the first app of its kind that not only diagnoses ADHD in children, but also treats it by increasing their cognitive ability. abilities, reducing the need for large amounts of Adderall.
The app uses video-style games to generate ADHD probability percentages in less than half an hour with 93 percent accuracy, the company claims.
It does this by using conventional vision, hearing, and memory tests, which doctors use to diagnose ADHD, combined into an immersive screening game for kids ages six to 12, the app’s target market.
The app also features cognitive enhancement games to improve children’s attention, inhibitory control, processing speed, and memory.
Cognitive enhancement games increase attention, processing speed, inhibitory control, and memory in children. In this particular game, kids use a phone or tablet to maneuver a vehicle around a track, dodging bombs and collecting shields. There are also three different colored carrots on the track, and kids need to control themselves only by clicking on the orange carrots and avoiding the blue and yellow ones.
Games to treat the behavioral condition include different stages tailored to the skill levels of the players.
The app has two components: check for ADHD and then treat it.
The chance of a child having ADHD is determined through a survey of parents and four different types of games the children play that test their attention, impulsivity, processing speed, and memory, all of which take a total of 25 minutes. .
Typically, getting an ADHD diagnosis can take weeks or months because doctors must observe children’s behavior and go through multiple surveys and tests. Tests used only for clinical diagnosis take two hours, according to eMotiv.
Kimin Kim, 29, from South Korea, is a member of the StarRuckus team and told DailyMail.com that the app could be available to American families as early as next year.
With StarRuckus, parents can check the results immediately through the app to access an ADHD probability percentage for their child.
The app can recommend parents to take their children to the doctor for a more accurate diagnosis.
Inseok Chang, 27, part of the StarRuckus team, told DailyMail.com: ‘Kids don’t know it’s actually a test. They have fun, but it’s really a test (for ADHD).’
eMotiv gave the app-based test to 100 children who received an ADHD diagnosis at a hospital and found that it confirmed the diagnosis in 93 percent of the participants.
The game also helps treat ADHD by improving children’s cognitive ability. The StarRuckus team hopes this means kids can reduce the amount of ADHD medication they take.
Mr. Chang said, “If you only take medicine, there are a lot of side effects that are really bad for children’s growth.” We are trying to reduce the medication, so there are fewer side effects.’
One cognition-enhancing game involves kids using a phone or tablet to maneuver a vehicle around a track, dodging bombs and collecting shields. There are also three different colored carrots on the track, and kids need to control themselves only by clicking on the orange carrots and avoiding the blue and yellow ones.
Mr. Chang said: “Children with ADHD lack a lot of inhibitory control, so they can make rash decisions.” They can’t pay attention to one thing for a long time, so we help them improve those areas.’
It is recommended that children use the app five times a week for 20 minutes a day to see improvements in their cognitive ability. Meanwhile, parents can access digital graphs of their children’s cognitive condition to track their progress.
The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play and ADHD self-tests are priced at 15,000 South Korean won, equivalent to approximately $12.
Currently only available in Korea, the app will be tested in a clinical trial in the coming months with around 300 children between the ages of six and 12.
If the clinical trial goes well, the app could be available in the US as early as next year, Kimin Kim, another member of the StarRuckus team, told DailyMail.com.
CEO Jung Sang Min, who is also a father, said his goal was to “reduce the time, financial and psychological burdens of ADHD diagnosis and treatment.”
