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Nine year-old Ethan Myers of Colorado was involved in a car accident in 2002 that left him in a state where he would never be able to walk, talk, or feed himself again.
Yet, hope was found in video games and Myers condition has significantly improved. CyberLearning S.M.A.R.T. BrainGames utilizes “neurofeedback” technology, conditioning that rewards users for producing specific brain waves. The system is similar to one used by NASA to keep pilots awake and calm.
After a year of working with the system, Myers’ parents report that they’ve “seen the Ethan we knew before the accident.”
Despite Ethan’s great recovery, doctors caution parents about using the system as a cure-all. “We have some very effective treatments for kids with ADHD [other than neurofeedback], I’d be concerned about parents pursuing expensive and not very established treatments in lieu of more proven therapies,” Dr. Andrew Adesman of New York warned.
Yet, Ethan’s progress is impressive. “I’m doing the exact same things as [classmates]. I’m getting buddies and stuff. I couldn’t remember where I put stuff and now I can. I remember school stuff and people’s names,” Ethan enthused.