pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

ADHD-Gaming Disorder Comorbidity in Children and Adolescents: A Narrative Review - PubMed

  • ️Sat Jan 01 2022

Review

ADHD-Gaming Disorder Comorbidity in Children and Adolescents: A Narrative Review

Luana Salerno et al. Children (Basel). 2022.

Abstract

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological condition characterized by developmentally inadequate levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, and a neurobiological disruption in brain neurotransmitters and circuitry causing abnormal responses to rewards. Playing electronic games generates a biological response that activates the neuronal circuits linked to pleasure and reward, and there is a growing attention to this type of activity, which can also turn into a mental health condition. The existence and the boundaries between the functional and the dysfunctional are still a source of debate, with the recognition of 'Internet Gaming Disorder' (IGD) as a condition belonging to the broader area of addiction requiring more in-depth study with respect to the DSM-5, while 'Gaming Disorder' (GD) was officially recognized as a new diagnosis by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the updated revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Notwithstanding, the suggested criteria for the diagnosis of Gaming Disorder are still debated. Since ADHD has been reported as a risk factor for developing addictions, this narrative review aims to provide the current state-of-the art of the knowledge about the comorbidity between ADHD and Gaming Disorder. For this aim, a literature search was conducted using a combination of specific keywords and the results are discussed within the R-Do-C framework and dimensions, and implications for treatment are considered.

Keywords: addiction; adolescent; attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); children; gaming; neurobiology; reward; video game.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1

Flow of information through review.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Polanczyk G., de Lima M.S., Horta B.L., Biederman J., Rohde L.A. The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: A systematic review and metaregression analysis. Am. J. Psychiatry. 2007;164:942–948. doi: 10.1176/ajp.2007.164.6.942. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fayyad J., Sampson N.A., Hwang I., Adamowski T., Aguilar-Gaxiola S., Al-Hamzawi A., Andrade L.H., Borges G., de Girolamo G., Florescu S., et al. The descriptive epidemiology of DSM-IV adult ADHD in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. Atten. Defic. Hyperact. Disord. 2017;9:47–65. doi: 10.1007/s12402-016-0208-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Faraone S.V., Larsson H. Genetics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Mol. Psychiatry. 2019;24:562–575. doi: 10.1038/s41380-018-0070-0. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chen Q., Brikell I., Lichtenstein P., Serlachius E., Kuja-Halkola R., Sandin S., Larsson H. Familial aggregation of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry. 2017;58:231–239. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12616. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Nikolas M.A., Burt S.A. Genetic and environmental influences on ADHD symptom dimensions of inattention and hyperactivity: A meta-analysis. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 2010;119:1–17. doi: 10.1037/a0018010. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources