Biochemical Correlates of Video Game Use: From Physiology to Pathology. A Narrative Review

Carpita, Barbara; Muti, Dario; Nardi, Benedetta; Benedetti, Francesca; Cappelli, Andrea; Cremone, Ivan Mirko; Carmassi, Claudia; Dell’Osso, Liliana

doi:10.3390/life11080775

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 186 publications

(246 reference statements)

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“…A total of 3 family caregivers from the group of eligible participants were excluded from this trial; two-thirds of these caregivers (2/3, 67%) prevented their children from using video games. To our knowledge, there is an increasing amount of literature focused on pathological and nonpathological correlates of video game playing, with specific attention directed toward internet gaming disorder [ 24 ]. It may be the cause of the lack of trust in the TVG on the part of these family caregivers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a Therapeutic Video Game With the MDA Framework to Decrease Anxiety in Preschool-Aged Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Mixed Methods Approach

Yang¹,

Lu²,

Chen³

et al. 2022

JMIR Serious Games

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Background Preschool-aged children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) receive long-term treatment according to the Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG)–ALL 2013 protocol. Severe anxiety and noncompliance ahead of frequent invasive therapies leads to an increase in health care costs. Previous studies have shown that therapeutic video games (TVGs) can decrease the anxiety experienced by children who are ill. To our knowledge, no existing TVG has been designed specifically for preschool-aged children with ALL in Taiwan. Objective The purpose of this study was to develop a TVG using the popular Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics (MDA) framework for game design and to investigate the effect of this TVG on the reduction of therapy-related anxiety among preschool-aged children with ALL. Methods This study used a mixed methods approach over three phases: (1) develop a TVG using the MDA framework, (2) test the reliability of the TVG among three certified children’s art therapists, and (3) evaluate the reduction of therapy-related anxiety among participants after using the TVG for 6 weeks, using a two-group, stratified randomized controlled trial at a medical center in northern Taiwan. Eligible preschool-aged children with ALL were randomly assigned 1:1 into an experimental group or a control group. The two groups of subjects received the same usual care, and only the experimental group had access to and used the TVG. The children’s anxiety responses were reported by their family caregivers using the face rating scale (FRS). Descriptive analyses, the Fisher exact test, the Pearson chi-square test, and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to statistically analyze the variables. Results Six mechanics rules supported the dynamics of the TVG using four main features—character, nursery, tasks, and market—in order to complete all of the therapy-related anxiety reduction scenarios and to achieve eight aesthetics goals. The results of reliability test showed that participants found the TVG to be useful and trustworthy for preschool-aged children with ALL (Cronbach α=.98). A total of 15 participants were enrolled and randomly allocated to the experimental group (n=7) or the control group (n=8). The average number of TVG log-ins was 37.9 (SD 15.30, range 14-62) in the experimental group. The demographic data showed homogeneity across the two groups regarding age (3 to 5 years), sex (male), risk classification (standard risk), and treatment status (continuation therapy). The mean FRS score was 6.16 (SD 3.31) for the experimental group as compared to 7.45 (SD 2.71) for the control group (P=.04), which represented a significant difference between the groups at the 6-week follow-up. Conclusions This research provides evidence that using a TVG can decrease anxiety in preschool-aged children with ALL in Taiwan. The TVG could be used to support clinical professionals before they perform invasive therapies. However, it is recommended to increase the statistical power for inference. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04199637; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04199637

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a Therapeutic Video Game With the MDA Framework to Decrease Anxiety in Preschool-Aged Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Mixed Methods Approach

Yang¹,

Lu²,

Chen³

et al. 2022

JMIR Serious Games

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“…Now added to the third section of the DSM-5 TR, IGD is described as a “persistent and recurrent use of the internet to engage in games leading to clinically significant impairment or distress and last up to 12 months” ( 32 ). For what concerns hikikomori state, the recent literature has introduced the Compensatory Internet Use (CIU) concept, defined as the refuge into the virtual world of Internet, which becomes a way to escape social deficits and a protective isolation against the outside world ( 26 , 58 , 59 ). Indeed, the use of internet games seems to be directly proportional to the prolongation of social withdrawal ( 60 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Case report: hikikomori syndrome in Italy and its link with autistic traits and internet gaming disorder

Carpita,

Bonelli,

Giovannoni

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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During the last few decades, a growing field of literature is focusing on hikikomori, a phenomenon described as a form of pathological social withdrawal or social isolation that lasts for more than 6 months leading to significant functional impairment and/or distress. Despite initially considered a culture-bound syndrome, hikikomori syndrome later gained a wider recognition in different countries, ranging from an attempt to take refuge in an idealistic world, when society success’ standards are not reached, to a maladaptive coping strategy complicating several psychiatric illnesses such as anxiety disorders, major depression, internet addiction, internet gaming disorder (IGD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this framework, difficulties in social interaction, in problem solving strategies and socio-emotional reciprocity, may lead to social withdrawal and hikikomori-like behaviors. In this work, we described two cases of patients where the presence of underlying autism spectrum may have represented a sign of vulnerability towards the development of a possible full-blown case of hikikomori with IGD.

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“…Studies suggest that the impact of these unregulated business strategies extends beyond the exploitation of developmental vulnerabilities to modify behavior and elicit profit. Children's exposure to such manipulations, and the protracted use of digital screens they breed, have been found to induce chemical imbalances, alter the structural and functional development of the growing child's brain, and interfere with the ability to meet developmental milestones, often overshadowing the positive effects of new technologies (11). Indeed, despite the recognized benefits of social media, gaming, and other digital platforms, the scientific literature is also replete with studies evincing the relationship between childhood exposure to gamification, social media and extended screen time, and diminished social competence, isolation, shifts in values, sleep disruption, aggression, and health and academic difficulties (12).…”

Section: Social Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science for policy to protect children in cyberspace

Gilad¹,

Fishbein

Nave

et al. 2023

Science

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Biochemical Correlates of Video Game Use: From Physiology to Pathology. A Narrative Review

Cited by 7 publications

References 186 publications

Development of a Therapeutic Video Game With the MDA Framework to Decrease Anxiety in Preschool-Aged Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Mixed Methods Approach

Development of a Therapeutic Video Game With the MDA Framework to Decrease Anxiety in Preschool-Aged Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Mixed Methods Approach

Case report: hikikomori syndrome in Italy and its link with autistic traits and internet gaming disorder

Science for policy to protect children in cyberspace

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