App may work 'like Ritalin' on brain to focus ADHD sufferers

Cambridge University scientists will launch a free app on Monday that they claim works like "digital Ritalin" to improve focus, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.

Researchers say the app could potentially help improve concentration for people who have conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or traumatic brain injury.

The Decoder app invites users to tap the screen when a number combination appears helping to promote "flow," the state of complete concentration which allows people to operate at the top of their ability.

According to the news source, trials on 75 people showed that performance after playing the game was comparable to taking the ADHD drug Ritalin.

In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience, investigators demonstrated that playing Decoder on an iPad for eight one-hour spells over one month improved attention and concentration, activating an important network in the brain.

The improved focus remained when players shifted their attention to a different kind of test, the study found.

Register as Visitor to CPhI China 2019!