Groundskeeper: An Innovative Game That Spots ADHD Early
ADHD is one of those medical issues that come into the limelight more often than not for those diagnosed with the condition being over medicated, or receiving false diagnosis. ADHD is however a true problem for all ages of people, and in most cases it is both hard to treat as well as diagnose. Games in health are improving the experiences of consumers, and developers at CogCubed are working for those that suffer from ADHD.
Gamification of healthcare is a useful device in measuring the attention span of the players of a game with simplistic mechanics. With the implementation of small blocks that depict renderings of video game characters or scenes, developers at CogCubed have made something fun yet scientifically relevant. The MIT Media Lab has weaved these ingenious little cube instruments that sparked the idea of this whack-a-mole style game known as “Groundskeeper.” The game is capable of determining the two different types of ADHD. Interactivity makes the cubes the perfect devices to allow the developers at CogCubed to test the behavioral well-being of people. ADHD is found in over 9% of the U.S. population. The methods CogCubed have developed in trying to revolutionize the way ADHD is recognized are substantial for diagnosis.
The Games for Health Journal posted the great results for the product in 2013 showing that Grounds Keeper confirmed the diagnosis of 70% in all categories of ADHD, in all test subjects. A mixture of MDs and PHDs developing the software leads one to believe that this product will soon be presented to children in psychiatrists’ offices around the United States. Hopefully, more games like this can help to solve the problems medical sciences alone have yet to decipher or work toward a nicer experience for consumers.
Credit image: flickr
