Comparisons of clinical subtypes, symptom severity, global functioning, emotional and behavior problems, and CPT test profiles in children and adolescents with ADHD with and without co-occurring internet gaming disorder

Abstract

Objectives

This study aims to assess whether the presence of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is associated with disease severity, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) presentation, emotional problems, behavioral problems, and CPT profile in patients with ADHD.

Method

Forty children with IGD and sixty-four patients without IGD were included in the study, all of whom had a diagnosis of ADHD. Comorbid psychiatric disorders were determined using The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS). Conners’s Parent Rating Scale-Revised Short form (CPRS-RS), The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Internet Gaming Disorder Questionnaire (IGD-20), and MOXO Continuous Performance Test (MOXO d-CPT) were performed on the children, and Clinical Global Impression (CGI), Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), comorbidities and ADHD presentations were evaluated.

Results

The IGD group was found to have the combined presentation of ADHD more commonly, and their CGI, CGAS, SDQ behavior problems subscale, cognitive problems, attention problems, and ADHD index in the CPRS-RS questionnaire were found to be higher (p < 0.05). No differences were found in attention, timing, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity scores in CPT between groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Our study has shown that children with both ADHD and IGD had more severe symptoms, more behavioral problems, and differences regarding the prevalence of the ADHD presentations when compared to children having ADHD without IGD. Longitudinal studies with higher sample sizes are required to investigate this possible connection in the context of a cause-effect relationship and draw a conclusion.

Keywords:

• Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder
• ınternet gaming disorder
• continous performance test

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Moxo Turkey for providing the Moxo continuous performance test free of charge without any conflict of interest among the authors in this study. We would also like to thank Goksel Tanigor, M.D., for his support in the formation of the manuscript.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by Dokuz Eylul University Institutional Review Board for ethics and all patients were taken informed consent.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).