Could a medical “digital twin” help your child with ADHD?

What if your child’s healthcare providers could “test” treatments on a digital version of your child before ever changing their prescriptions or care plan? Could digital twins have the power to help caregivers, parents and patients better understand ADHD, with hopes of providing data to families that helps them predict when their child will have good days or bad days? 

That’s exactly what the Akili cognitive modeling team hopes to find out. 

Akili is researching how simulated digital twins that mirror ADHD patient brains and behaviors could be used to help clinicians. Digital twin simulators are in development using medical science, advanced cognitive modeling and published research and will be trained and calibrated based on anonymized, real patient behavior data from clinical trials and EndeavorRxⓇ.

By using data about patients' brains in general and how they interact with Akili’s treatments, and by using multiple angles of cognitive and behavioral assessment, the Akili team seeks to discern each specific patient's current state and their response to treatment so far. This enables Akili to provide in-depth insight to patients and the care team.

But with a digital twin based on this data, the team would be able to test out which treatment options seem appropriate going forward. This can include adjustments to the game experience to optimize the patient’s engagement with the delivery mechanism. As the digital twin methodology is validated over time, it opens up the door to personalized recommendations on next steps in the treatment plan.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for ADHD in children, though traditional medicine hasn’t changed much in the past 40 years,” said Dr. Scott Kollins, Akili Chief Medical Officer and clinical psychologist with two decades of research in ADHD. “By simulating a patient’s response to stimuli and digital therapeutics like EndeavorRx, we can develop more personalized treatment for each patient and enable the care they deserve.” 

The team is looking eventually to go even further, to be able to automatically reconfigure the treatment plan for the specific patient as their needs change. As Akili’s portfolio of treatments and related assessments expands, the possible combinations are endless–but digital twins can provide a pathway to find the right options for each patient’s individual needs.