Using PlayStation as Therapy for Children with ADD

By Jenna Gaillard

 

Gray Matters, LLC, a section of Westport family therapy clinic Living in Harmony, LLC, is offering neurofeedback training with specialized technology to children who are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), to help them focus better and reduce anxiety by playing PlayStation 2 for 30 minutes.

"The system is driven by your thoughts," said Gary Pearson, a marriage and family therapist at Living in Harmony, LLC.

How it works is each child wears a SMART Visor Sensor System cap by SMART BrainGames and under the cap, behind each ear, a sensor is placed. A sensor is also placed on top of the head under a band. Before the sensors are placed on the child, they are submerged in SmartWater that contains one tablespoon of baking soda.

When ready to use, the sensors are plugged into a SMART Box neurofeedback device, which showcases the child's brainwaves on a neurotherapists' computer. This action is called an electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a test that records the electrical activity of a person's brain. By looking at the child's brainwaves, the therapists can see if the person is focused or not.

The SMART Box device is licensed NASA technology.

Scientists at NASA did research to look at the psychological measures astronauts face such as pilot stress, awareness and maintaining attention in in-flight simulators.

According to Smart BrainGames' Web site, one of the scientists, Dr. Alan Pope, thought that the flight simulator resembled a video game and he came up with the idea of using video games that were controlled by the gamer's brain activity.

For the neurofeedback therapy Gray Matters, LLC is offering, a child plays a race car game or a jumping game on a PlayStation 2 with a special NASA certified game controller. The games operation is directly linked to the child's mental state.

For example, if a child is playing a racing car game, how fast the car drives is based on how focused and relaxed the child is. If the child is stressed or not paying attention, the car will drive slow or not at all, but if they are focused it can reach fast speeds.

Also, the SMART Box device has different levels of the game and can be changed by pressing certain buttons on the SMART Box device.

"Children learn the ability to calmly focus to increase the speed of the car," said Anthony Silver, neurotherapist and director of Gray Matters, LLC. "This deals with the underlying issue on focus and how to calm your mind and push distractions away."

According to Silver, eight to nine million children suffer from ADD. He said kids who suffer from ADD or ADHD are generally smart but easily distracted and may not finish their schoolwork, which may lead to anxiety.

For Silver, it was his son who inspired him to look for alternative treatments.

"It's so frustrating knowing your child is underachieving and not having the tools to help them," said Silver.

Silver's son has ADD and is on the drug Ritalin. He has noticed some side effects to the drug, such as loss of appetite. Silver researched alternative treatments for his son and came across neurofeedback therapy, which he said "hooked" him.

"There's something innovative about this [the neurofeedback therapy]," said Silver. "You're treating the actual problem -- a child's inability to focus. They learn to relax themselves so the car works and it transfers into the real world. They have to learn how to calm their mind and to be focused. A child must learn to focus at school and they have to be able to pull themselves back when they drift off and this teaches them to do that instantly."

Silver said his hope for the children who participate in the neurofeedback therapy sessions and who are on stimulants like Ritalin, will experience "significant improvements," which may in turn reduce their medication dosage or stop use all together.

"I'm sure they'll be many kids who walk through this door who won't need medication anymore," said Silver. "I'm not against drugs, they have their place and can be useful, but they should be used when you've exhausted every avenue."

Silver has been working on the neurofeedback therapy program for Gray Matters, LLC for three months.

Gray Matters, LLC is the only organization specializing in neruofeedback therapy with SMART BrainGames technology in Connecticut, according to Silver.

Children enrolled in the program will have a total of 40 training sessions six of them being in the clinic and the rest at the child's home. Data from the home sessions each child participates in can be downloaded and e-mailed to Gray Matters, LLC.

"The SMART Box can be programmed specifically for each child so they get the same benefit as they do here," said Silver. "We want everyone to have the system at home, tailored to their child and come back here once a week to review how things are going."

Children should do the training programs once a day or every other day for 30 minutes. According to Silver, the entire neurofeedback therapy program, including the home set-up, costs $3,500.

Silver also said that there may be a leasing option or a buy back option for the equipment once the training sessions are over.

For more information about Gray Matters, LLC and its neurofeedback therapy program, contact Anthony Silver at anthonysilver@graymattersct.com or call Gray Matters, LLC at (203) 291-0880.