Implications of Neuropsychological Deficits and Intervention in Gaming Addiction: A Case Series

Abstract

The effects of playing online games on brain functions and cognitive processes are not yet clear. Neuropsychological profiling of online gamers in many studies has focused on deficits in working memory and response inhibition. Objective: The main aim of this paper was to propose a neuropsychological model based on a case series. Method: Assessment was conducted with interview and screening tools. Clients were playing multiplayer online games. The average use was of 10 hours a day. It also leads to disturbance in biological function, academic as well as in their lifestyle. None of the clients had significant psychiatric morbidity. The clients above the cut off were administered Wechsler’s memory scale and NIMHANS neuropsychological battery. The assessment revealed deficits in frontal, temporal and right parietal cognitive functions. Deficits were found in sustained attention, working memory, immediate recall and response inhibition, and other executive functions. The clients were given cognitive retraining strategies on the basis of deficits found on the assessments. The post-intervention assessment revealed a significant decrease in neuropsychological deficits and excessive gaming. Based on the results of a theoretical neuropsychological model for gaming was formulated integrating the assessment and intervention data. The theoretical model explained the relationship between cognitive domains and gaming. Excessive gaming could lead to the presentation of neuropsychological deficits. Conclusion: This paper provides a stepwise understanding of the development of gaming disorder. There is scope for getting more empirical data with a larger sample. It has implications for the promotion of changes in lifestyle interventions.