Game-Based Digital Therapies Show Mixed Results in Treating Children with ADHD -

Stimulant medications are among the most common treatments for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), helping manage symptoms such as inattention and hyperactivity. However, the drugs can also have side effects, including reduced appetite and increased blood pressure.

As interest grows in non-drug treatments, game-based digital therapies have emerged as a potential alternative. However, research so far suggests that their effectiveness remains mixed.

One example is EndeavorRx, the first game-based treatment for paediatric ADHD authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is generally recommended as an additional treatment alongside medication, behavioural therapy and educational support. The FDA’s labelling also notes that patients may not experience improvements in core behavioural symptoms such as hyperactivity.

The FDA described EndeavorRx as an example of the growing field of digital therapeutics when it authorised the treatment in 2020. A study published that year found significant improvements in the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) among unmedicated children who used the programme.

However, a 2024 meta-analysis examining digital therapies for ADHD found that medication generally produced stronger improvements in symptoms. Digital interventions nevertheless performed better than control treatments, suggesting they may have some value as part of broader ADHD care.

More recent research has produced less encouraging results. In a 2026 study conducted with Shenzhen Children’s Hospital in China, researchers tested IBT-AC01, a game-like cognitive training programme, in children aged 6 to 12 diagnosed with ADHD.

The programme included nine tasks designed to train selective attention, working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. Participants used it for 25 minutes a day, five days a week, over four weeks.

Researchers found no significant overall improvement compared with children in the control group, who played crossword-search games. Younger children and those with coexisting Oppositional Defiant Disorder appeared to show greater improvements, but researchers cautioned that these findings should be viewed as early signals rather than proof that the treatment is effective.

The findings highlight the need for further research before game-based digital therapies can be considered a reliable replacement for established ADHD treatments. – TS/ERMD

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