Charlotte
Wizard, a new game available on iOS, provides in-game tasks aimed at improving brain function, cognition, and the memory of schizophrenia patients. The app was tested with 22 players diagnosed with schizophrenia for over four weeks. According to the report the players who were later tested with memory and brain functioning tests made significantly fewer errors.
While the results are encouraging, the sample-size is small and much still needs to be done. The research team acknowledged that further studies with larger sample sizes would need to be carried out to confirm the preliminary findings.
Researchers has also noted the interesting concept of this game has even spurred patients with lack of motivation to continue training.
The slow progress towards developing a drug treatment for the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, such as episodic memory problems has propelled Professor Barbara Sahakian, to develop the game at the University of Carimbdge with Tom Piercy. Professor Sahakian believes this proof-of-concept study demonstrates that where drugs have so far failed this memory game can help.
He also said that University of Cambridge together with IOS’s Peak will bring the games industry to a new level and promote the benefits of cognitive enhancement by allowing the Wizard memory game to become widely available, inexpensively.
CJMY
Jimmy Tan
