This video game can now be prescribed as medicine in the US Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. This video game can now be prescribed as medicine in the US Apple a day. News by Emma Kent Contributor Updated on 16 Jun 2020 11 comments When I was growing up, I was always told that video games were detrimental to your health: addictive, "bad for your eyes", and a general waste of time. While some of those concerns may be true when taken to extremes, games are now also being recognised for their positive properties - and one game has been approved for prescription as a medicine in the US. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is responsible for approving medications in the US, has authorised doctors to prescribe a game called EndeavorRX to kids between eight and 12 with inattentive or combined-type ADHD (via The Verge). Made by Akili Interactive, the company says the mobile game had a noticeable effect on improving attention span, with one of the five studies finding a third of children "no longer had a measurable attention deficit on at least one measure of objective attention" after four weeks of treatment. About half of parents reported a "clinically meaningful change in their child's day-to-day impairments" after one month, a number that increased to 68 per cent after a second month of treatment. So, what is EndeavorRX actually about? It's an endless-runner for iPhone and iPad built on the Akili Selective Stimulus Management engine, which is designed to target specific neural systems in the brain that play a key role in attention function, while using "adaptive algorithms to personalise the treatment experience for each individual patient" (with each level optimised for the player). While the game certainly sounds promising, it did produce some all-too familiar side-effects in some patients: including headaches, frustration, dizziness, emotional reaction, nausea or aggression. And although the study cited by Akili results seem positive, as noted by The Verge, doctors on the study were previously employed by Akili, and the study received funding from the company. The study also concludes that the game could be a useful addition to the number of intervention options currently available for ADHD, so we shouldn't yet think of it as a full replacement for other prescriptions. Still, it's a historic moment for video games as medicine: as the first FDA-approved video game treatment, it can now be legally marketed and prescribed in the US. That's when the game actually starts rolling out, anyway. Akili says the game will be "available with a prescription to families soon". Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 10 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store