Finnish scientists decided to treat depression with video games. They started developing an action game that should seriously weaken the symptoms of the disease. But they warned — the game still won’t replace pills and psychotherapy.
A frame from a therapeutic game
The project is being carried out at the Aalto University.
According to scientists, the idea to make such a game came to them during the study of amblyopia — a disease when vision is constantly falling. During the experiments, they noticed that patients began to see better after playing special video games. At the same time, medications did not help to cope with the disease in any way.
We realized that specialized video games can alleviate the symptoms of brain diseases that were previously considered incurable.
Professor of Aalto University
As the staff of the Finnish university point out, their game against depression will not stand out among other modern titles. Unless it is based on a complex network of functions that together will have a therapeutic effect.
Scientists have already tested the first version of the game. It turned out that after eight weeks, active users had decreased symptoms of depression and improved cognitive functions. The result was not as noticeable as from conventional methods of treatment — psychotherapy and medications. But according to the researchers, the title can be used in addition to them.
However, the Finns emphasize that their game has limitations. For example, it is not suitable for elderly people and patients with severe depression.
Now the authors of the project are looking for additional developers. According to the plan, the next stage of testing the game will begin in the near future and will last until the summer of 2022. Aalto University has already received almost €1.5 million in funding for this.