COVID-19: some patients experience attention deficit, memory problems and hyperactivity disorder. Doctors will try to treat these COVID-19 symptoms with a video game tested for children.
Researchers are testing a prescription video game to see if it can help people with persistent memory and attention issues after recovering from COVID-19. Many people recovering from the disease say they often have trouble focusing, and research shows that symptoms can persist for months after recovery.
Game prescribed for hyperactive
Faith Gunning, a neuropsychologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, thinks the EndeavorRX video game could cure some of these symptoms. Developed by Akili Interactive, the game was the first video game to be prescribed as a medical treatment last summer with the approval of the US Food and Drug Administration. Play was considered a treatment for children ages 8 to 12 with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, Gunning thinks it can help other groups of people as well.
Stating that he is already interested in the game, Gunning has seen that people with COVID-19 struggle with some of the symptoms that are the target of the game. She then started a study to test whether she could help these patients. A group of people with cognitive problems who have suffered from COVID-19 will play the game, and the researchers will observe the difference in study symptoms from a group of COVID-19 patients with similar symptoms who did not play the game.
Tried on COVID-19 patients
Speaking to The Verge, Gunning gave details of the prescription video game. Gunning said, “We conducted a study on patients following COVID-19 infection. These patients were those who needed hospitalization and those who entered rehabilitation before discharge. So people with moderate to severe COVID-19. Therefore it does not represent the general population. We found that a very high percentage of individuals have mild to severe impairments in cognitive functions, ”she said.
It was found that the patients had a high level of difficulty in working memory, which is the ability to hold information in your mind while doing something else. This video game targets our ability to do more than one thing at a time. The game improves our abilities in people with ADHD, older adults, and helps people with multiple sclerosis.
Used in many patients with cognitive problems
Noting that not everyone who survives COVID-19 needs cognitive intervention, Dr. Gunning said:
“However, there is enough data to show that a significant number of people suffering from COVID-19 will have some cognitive problems. These ailments are not unique to people who have survived COVID-19; We see many conditions occurring that affect the brain. I think if we can improve these functions, whatever causes them, we can improve their daily lives. ”
