Biofeedback, AI, and Anxiety

What if the most effective treatments for children looked nothing like traditional medicine?

In this episode, three innovators share how games, biofeedback, and AI are being used to treat some of the most overlooked conditions in pediatric healthcare.

Juliette Hawa, pediatric physical therapist and founder of PFRx, describes how a gamified biofeedback device is helping children with pelvic floor dysfunction (a condition affecting around 10 million kids) learn to control muscles that cause constipation, incontinence, and pain. Designed with Children's Hospital Colorado and built for home use, PFRx turns muscle training into a video game children can play from the couch.

Dika Vilic, Senior Clinical Scientist in AI at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London, shares what it looks like to build AI from the inside of a health system, including why pediatric AI is uniquely challenging, why children's hospitals tend to produce more innovators than adult hospitals, and what happens when a drug calculator accidentally attracts 10,000 users and has to be taken offline for regulatory compliance.

Raj Amin, CEO and co-founder of Arcade Therapeutics, explains how a game called StarStarter for Anxiety is using attention bias modification (a subconscious, neuroscience-backed form of cognitive behavioral therapy) to reduce anxiety symptoms in children and adults. A published clinical study showed a 68% reduction in symptoms within 30 days. And a depression version is now in clinical trials, funded by an NIMH grant.

Episode Resources:

Children's Hospital Colorado

StarStarter for Anxiety, App by Arcade Therapeutics

Attention Bias Modification (ABM)

Connect with Juliette Hawa:

Juliette Hawa LinkedIn

Connect with Dika Vilic:

Dika Vilic LinkedIn

Guy's and St Thomas'​ NHS Foundation Trust Website

Guy's and St Thomas'​ NHS Foundation Trust LinkedIn

Connect with Raj Amin:

Raj Amin LinkedIn

Arcade Therapeutics Website

Arcade Therapeutics LinkedIn

Arcade Therapeutics Instagram

Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary

Connect with us:

KidsX Website

KidsX LinkedIn

Children's Hospital L.A. Website

Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram

Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn