VR based neurogaming for mindfulness in children and ADHD patients - Introduction

VR based neurogaming for mindfulness in children and ADHD patients



Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a brain disorder targeting millions of children every year. It affects the cognitive abilities of children such as hyperactivity disorder, difficulty focusing, inattentiveness, and impulsive behaviors. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimated that about 7.1% of children and adolescents are diagnosed as ADHD each year [1]. In Pakistan prevalence of ADHD is 1,931,426 from total population which is estimated to be 159,196,336 [1]. Lack of proper treatment can persist these disorders till adulthood with even more severe effects. The lack of skilled psychiatrist and mental health services for children’s in Pakistan is a serious concern [2], which has led to a significant number of unidentified cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Assessment Instrument for Mental health Systems (WHO-AIMS), there is a total of 3729 mental health services in Pakistan, among them only 1% are for children and teenagers [3]. The aim of this project is to fill the gap in existing medical health services for child mental health care in Pakistan and to provide an efficient, readily available solution to parents and in schools for improvement in their cognitive abilities.

The output of this project will be in the form of different gaming applications controlled from the brain dubbed as neurogaming in which feedback from brain signals will be used as input in Virtual Reality (VR) environment. This system will have its impact on education as well as in the health sector, by providing better facilities to the patients. This system is deemed to contribute to the development of mental health institutes and for improving the health conditions of the children in Pakistan.