When you think of possible treatment options for schizophrenia, video games are probably not the first thing to come to mind. But cognitive game developer Brain Plasticity, Inc. has begun the process of gaining approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market one of its games as a therapy for schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia causes a number of symptoms, and current antipsychotic drugs tend to address only some of them. The cognitive game by Brain Plasticity is designed to help people with schizophrenia improve deficits in attention and memory, areas which are not targeted by current drug therapies.
The company plans to conduct a study next year, in which 150 participants from across the country will play the game at a specific "dose" for six months--one hour, five times a week. If the study is a success, measured by improvement in the participants' quality of life, Brain Plasticity will continue the FDA approval process.
Therapeutic video games are still a bit controversial, but they show promise in treating disorders like PTSD. As technology continues to advance, it seems likely that we'll continue to see more options for other disorders--potentially changing the way all types of medical disorders are treated.
Source: NewScientist
