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| Funtional Brain Trainer--Courtesy of Intendu |
Israel's Intendu touted the launch of the Functional Brain Trainer to rehabilitate patients suffering from cognitive impairment using adaptive video games.
Intendu says it's the first adaptive motion-interaction cognitive training platform for patients recovering from neurological conditions like traumatic brain injury, stroke and other neurological diseases.
"Our mission is to provide tools for effective, accessible and affordable brain rehabilitation at the clinic and at home," said Intendu CEO and founder Dr. Son Preminger in a statement. "Therapists have limited training tools that engage the patients in daily living scenarios, and lack tools that can adapt to patients' needs and capabilities in real time. The brain rehabilitation community faces a significant challenge in providing proper tools for patients to continue their cognitive rehabilitation after they have completed rehabilitation treatment. Patients are left without any rehabilitation therapy in their home environment, which leads to limited recovery and even deterioration. The Functional Brain Trainer seeks to provide that tool set."
In a release, the company says the tool can train multitasking, memory, self-initiation, inhibition and attention. The Functional Brain Trainer is already in use at some rehabilitation centers, Intendu says, including the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.
"The adaptive nature of the games allows patients of various levels to be engaged and challenged by the software," said Shepherd's speech and language clinical manager, Dalise Robinson, in a statement. "The body motion component makes the game experience more realistic and patients like it. We are currently using the Functional Brain Trainer and the feedback of both therapists and patients is very positive. We see also a great potential for the product in the home environment."
Interest in video games as a form of psychological therapy has grown following the high incidence of PTSD among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Department of Veterans Affairs is deploying video games simulating battles and war scenes to help them recover.
And Boston's Akili Interactive recently touted a study that found its tablet-based video game intervention showed promise at treating ADHD in a trial of 80 children, half of whom had the condition and were not taking medication.
- read the release