A mobile video game that helps kids with ADHD get off Adderall could be downloaded in the US within months amid an overprescription crisis for the drug.
Developed by Korean digital therapy company eMotiv, StarRuckus was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week. StarRuckus is a unique app that not only diagnoses ADHD in children but also treats it by improving their cognitive abilities. Skills, which reduce the need for large amounts of Adderall.
The app uses video-style games to generate ADHD probability scores in less than half an hour with 93 percent accuracy, the company claims.
It combines traditional vision, hearing and memory tests that doctors use to diagnose ADHD into an immersive screening game for children aged six to 12 – the app’s target market.
The app also includes 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 minors. In this particular game, kids use a phone or tablet to maneuver a vehicle on a track while dodging bombs and collecting shields. There are also three carrots of different colors on the track and children have to control themselves by clicking only on the orange carrots and dodging the blue and yellow ones
The behavioral disorder treatment games include different levels tailored to the skill level of the players
The app has two components: Screen for ADHD and then treat.
The possibility that a child has ADHD is determined by a parent survey and four different types of games played by children to test their attention, impulsivity, processing speed and memory, all lasting a total of 25 minutes.
Typically, it can take weeks or months to diagnose ADHD because doctors must observe children’s behavior and undergo various exams and tests. The tests used for clinical diagnosis take only two hours, according to eMotiv.
Kimin Kim, 29, from South Korea, is a member of the StarRuckus team and told DailyMail.com the app could be available to American families next year
DEA Warns ADHD Overprescribing Could Be As Bad As The OPIOID CRISIS
Above is the total number of Adderall pills, brand and generic, that were prescribed at US pharmacies last year. Teva sold the most Adderall in the US in 2021
The Drug Enforcement Administration has expressed concern that “aggressive marketing practices” by telemedicine companies may contribute to overprescribing of ADHD drugs, according to a letter from the agency.
With StarRuckus, parents can view the results directly from the app to get an ADHD percentage for their child.
The app can recommend parents to take their children to a 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. You have fun, but this is really a test [for ADHD].’
eMotiv gave the app-based test to 100 children who received an ADHD diagnosis from 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 abilities. The StarRuckus team hopes this will help children reduce the amount of ADHD medication they take.
Mr. Chang said, “If you just take medication, there are a lot of side effects that are really bad for children’s growth.” We try to reduce the drugs so that there are fewer side effects.”
In one of the cognitive-boosting games, kids use a phone or tablet to maneuver a vehicle around a track while dodging bombs and collecting shields. There are also three carrots of different colors on the track and children have to control themselves by clicking only on the orange carrots and dodging the blue and yellow ones.
Mr. Chang said, “Kids with ADHD don’t have a lot of inhibitory control, so they can make rash decisions. They can’t focus on one thing for long, so we help them improve those areas.”
Children are recommended to use the app for 20 minutes, 5 times a week to see improvements in their cognitive abilities. Meanwhile, parents have access to digital maps of their child’s cognitive state to track their progress.
The app is free to download from the App Store or Google Play, and ADHD self-tests cost 15,000 South Korean won, which is about $12.
The application is currently only available in Korea and will be tested in a clinical study with around 300 children between the ages of six and twelve in the coming months.
If the clinical trial goes well, the app could be available in the US next year, Kimin Kim, another member of the StarRuckus team, told DailyMail.com.
CEO Jung Sang Min, himself a father, said his goal is to “reduce the time, economic and psychological burden of ADHD diagnosis and treatment.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
