While no one study has shown conclusive evidence that video games are dangerous for children, there have been multiple studies over the years that have been given attention in the media. Another such study was recently conducted by the Radiological Society of North America. The study showed the impact of video games on certain functions of the brain.

The study focused on a short period of intense video game play, followed by an examination of the brain for changes that might represent long-term differences in brain functioning.

The researchers recruited 22 young adult men between the ages of 18 and 29. Half of the participants were asked to play 10 hours of video games for the first week and then abstain from any video game play the next week. The video games were considered violent in nature. The other half of the participants were instructed not to participate in any video game playing at all during the course of the two-week period.

The participants were each given tests using MRI to examine their brain functions during the exercises. The MRIs were conducted before the video game playing began, during the two-week period and after the course of video game play was complete.

The analysis showed evidence that during the week following the violent video game play, the left inferior lobe exhibited less activity during an emotional test and a reduced level of activity in the anterior cingulated cortex while the participants were completing a counting test. The authors of the study believe that the results indicate a long-term change in the brain following video game play.

In addition to the publication of the study, there has been increasing interest in the inclusion of video game addiction to the DSM for the fifth edition. While the experts involved with the DSM consider the evidence for video game addiction, some hope that it will be included in order to bring more attention to the problem and funding for research.

A new study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry provides information giving important insight into how the brain of a person who spends hours playing video games resembles that of a gambling addict. The study focused on 14-year-olds and found that those who often played video games exhibited a larger reward center in their brains than those who did not play as often.

Through the use of brain scans, the researchers could see that those who played for nine or more hours per week produced more dopamine than those who played less. In addition, the study showed that the frequent gamers produced even more dopamine when they were losing a game, which is similar to the effects witness among pathological gamblers. This reaction is what experts think may be what keeps a pathological gambler from walking away from a game, even when they are losing repeatedly.

Another similarity existed between pathological gamblers and those who play video games excessively. Playing video games was proven to reduce the time the participant took to make a decision, which is an important skill in gaming. It is also a characteristic seen among gamblers.

The authors of the study say that the study is not designed to determine whether gaming causes the changes in the brain, or whether those who are born with a certain brain structure may be more susceptible to pathological gaming. However, the study’s findings are an important step towards understanding whether teens could become addicted to playing video games. It is the first study to provide evidence for differences in brain structure and activity among those who frequently participate in video game playing.

The study was led by Dr. Simon Kuhn of Ghent University, located in Belgium. Dr. Kuhn and colleagues examined the brain structures of over 150 teenagers identified as spending a moderate amount of time or a lot of time playing video games.

The teenagers who played a lot exhibited a bigger ventral striatum. This area of the brain is associated with pleasure and reacts when exposed to such stimuli as eating dessert or winning a contest. While there is extensive debate among experts about whether intense video game playing can be called an addiction, this finding may increase support for pathological video gaming as an additional type of addiction.

Now in recovery, when Quinn Pitcock talks about the problem of video game addiction, he warns parents that while it may seem harmless for teens compared to drugs or alcohol, it’s still an isolating, all-consuming addiction that demands attention and help.

Hitting Rock Bottom

Pitcock’s online game addiction came to a peak in 2008. The NFL football player has said in interviews the games became like a drug he would dive into when he felt anxious or depressed. Pitcock also said the online games helped him escape from negative emotions and to set himself apart from stressful situations.

During the most intense periods of his addiction, Pitcock said he could play 18-hour stretches without even noticing, especially during the off-season from NFL football games and practices. The time spent playing online games, says Pitcock, runs together into what almost seems like a continuous, long day that actually spanned several weeks. At its very worst, Pitcock believes the online game addiction could have spanned as much as 12 months.

Gaming Addiction Relapse

Like other addictions, such as substance abuse or alcohol, Pitcock says even with help the relapses still occurred. The addiction was so strong that Pitcock chose to retire from NFL football in order to have more availability for the games. He recalls skipping meals in a story that’s capturing attention for bringing to light the consuming nature of video game addiction.

Now that Quinn Pitcock has returned to professional football on the Detroit Lions’ team, his past addiction story could almost go unnoticed when he takes the field. In reality, the games were a way to cope with the demands of a professional athlete’s life, says Pitcock.

Describing himself as introverted, but having to appear loud, strong and confident in social situations, Pitcock was able to construct an alternate reality through online gaming. Depression soon ensued. The community Pitcock built online also included several others addicted to online gaming from global locations. While the other players were visible on the computer screen, Pitcock could remain alone for hours on end.

A History of Mental Illness

Looking back, the NFL athlete says his depression may have been present even in his teen years. Pitcock also says he received a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a disorder many experts believe makes people more vulnerable to overuse of games and technology.

His recovery was prolonged, says Pitcock, because he had a desire to handle the problem himself instead of seeking professional help. Once he began to receive professional help, the recovery process began.

Today, Pitcock has technological tools like a smartphone, but he says the obsessive craving for the video games isn’t there anymore.

Addiction to video games has been compared to compulsive eating disorders because the technology seems avoidable, but each person must monitor his own use and know which cravings to steer clear from. Treatment for teens and adults addicted to video games can include individual and group therapy with a focus on learning healthy coping skills.

A recent article in the Daily Tech talks about the recent death of a 20-year-old boy and his love for Xbox Live, which reportedly led to his untimely death. The father of the boy said he acted strangely the night before his death, mentioning a weird feeling in his upper body and a lowered heart rate.

According to a witness’ report, the coroner said that the boy leaned over to pick up something and a blood clot made its way to his brain. The young man collapsed in seizures. His friend called 911, but they were not able to save him.

The coroner’s exam showed a pulmonary embolism, known also as a blood clot. Although, rarely seen, except with passengers on long international airline flights and often the elderly, the condition is known as deep vein thrombosis. Sometimes this occurs in individuals who have a genetic predisposition, but in this case the coroners believe it was due to his regular marathon Xbox sessions.

One medical expert, Brian Colvin, says these games are fun and when children start playing them it’s hard to stop. Such gaming addictions may cause other issues, such as children skipping the bathroom when they feel the urge, leading to urinary problems. While blood clots are rare, they are caused from sitting in one spot for long periods of time and can result in death.

The report is rather shocking to most in North America and Europe, as gaming deaths are rarely reported, however this boy’s father hopes to make it his mission to educate other parents about the dangers of spending too much time gaming without breaks.

A recent examination of reasons cited for divorce showed that video games may be responsible for the dissolution of many marriages. The number of women reporting that video games are the reason for their divorce has escalated in recent years.

The analysis, conducted by Divorce Online, showed that 15 percent of divorcing women who indicated unreasonable behavior as a reason for ending their marriage reported that their husbands prioritized gaming before their marriage. This number is a startling jump from just 5 percent one year ago.

The information was published in The Daily Mail and included information about specific video games that are causing marital distress. One game, World of Warcraft is especially addictive. Its appeal lies in allowing gamers to create fantasy characters that participate in mythical adventures.

Another game, Call of Duty, was also reported to be especially troublesome for marriages. The addictive game presents various war zones for gamers to compete against other online gamers.

The games have been widely criticized for their addictive nature. In fact, some claim that World of Warcraft may be more addictive to cocaine. World of Warcraft is the game that inspired the analysis, with Divorce Online managing director Mark Keenan reporting that his team conducted the research after they repeated received World of Warcraft entries as the reason for an unhappy marriage.

Keenan said that the results surprised him, but after conducting the examination of the divorce entries, he believes that the number of gaming-related divorces will actually increase for next year. This year’s analysis included 200 unreasonable behavior petitions filed by women.

The reason for the high number of video game-related divorces is unclear. The report about the entries did not attempt to make any suggestions about causality. The large number of divorces related to video games may be a result of recession-related increases in time spent indoors. In addition, it could be that men in an already unhappy marriage use gaming as a way to escape a tense home environment.

A research team asked more than 250 St. Louis, Mo., preteen and teen students about their video game use and their symptoms. Their findings include episodes of chronic hand pain, as well as joint problems that can be present into adulthood. Studies published in several research journals state that video game use is also connected to a greater likelihood of emotional or behavioral problems, lessened learning and memory capacity, ADHD diagnosis and sleep problems. Excessive video gaming or texting has also been connected to social and relationship problems at home. If the video games are violent, experts believe they can contribute to the likelihood of teens engaging in more acts of aggression.

In an article from TopNews, NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases Rheumatology Professor Dr. Yusuf Yazici confirmed the research conclusions, stating that computer games and even cell phones that allow texting are contributing to joint problems in children and teens, which could affect their life in later years. The researchers found that girls had almost double the likelihood of having hand or joint pain, in comparison to boys who text excessively or use video games often.

oint or hand pain can also be a sign of a video game addiction or dependence. Other symptoms include teens avoiding responsibilities and relationships to play games, losing track of hours while participating in the activity, and a desire to have more and more of the technology to feel “good.”

The study joins others that point to long-term health problems associated with new technological devices, and may be the target of future research on problems associated with teen video gaming and texting.

In a recent article posted on San Antonio WOAI News 4, a wife describes how her husband’s video gaming activity took over his life and their marriage. He played for 20-hour stints at a time, and Donald Hunt, now a recovering video game addict, refers to it in the article as living in a different version of reality. The addiction grew so severe that Janet, his wife, pursued divorce and explained she was living as if she were widowed. The Hunts have since sought treatment for their video game addiction and are now in recovery.

The subject of video game addiction as a serious problem is also addressed in "Unplugged," a book by Ryan Van Cleave. In the book, Van Cleave explains that through video game addiction, people are destroying their health and that of their families without the ability to stop.

The problem is national in scope. In Pennsylvania, six children were taken from the home by law enforcement officials when they were discovered living in unsuitable levels of filth with a mother who was addicted to video gaming. In Colorado, a one-year-old child died in the bathtub while the mother was using a social media game.

The symptoms of gambling addiction reflect those of other addictions, such as compulsive gambling, and are also believed similar to impulse control disorders. Symptoms of video game addiction include missing sleep, work or responsibilities to play video games; neglecting bathing; eating at odd hours or skipping meals to play; and withdrawing from family members.

Lead researcher Dr. Douglas A. Gentile of Iowa State University, Ames’s Department of Psychology and his team of researchers from Singapore and Hong Kong conducted a 2-year investigation on a large population of primary- and secondary-level students in Singapore to assess their levels of gaming activity and related behavioral impacts. Of a total pool of 3,034 children from six primary and six secondary schools—743 were in third grade, 711 were in fourth grade, 916 were in seventh grade, and 664 were in eighth grade in 2007. About 2,200 of the students included in the study were male, as five of the schools investigated were all-boys’ schools. For two years, students were surveyed to measure the prevalence of such risk factors for developing pathological gaming as amount of time spent gaming, social competence, social phobia, school performance, impulsivity, depression, and anxiety.

Most of the students exhibited what is considered ‘normal’ levels of game time that do not directly affect health. Among the entire population, 83% of the participants reported playing video games on an occasional basis, and 10% reported having played video games in the past. The researchers found the average amount of playing time among the participants to be 20.5 to 22.5 hours per week.

Similar to statistics found in other countries, about 9% of the study’s Singapore population qualified for diagnosis of pathological gaming. The presence of related risk factors, including higher amounts of gaming time (playing for more than 30 hours per week), lower social competence, lower level of empathy, and higher rate of impulsivity, appeared to increase the participants’ risk for pathological gaming. Other studies have already shown that pathological gaming mirrors other addictions, but what hasn’t been certain is whether gaming addictions among children result as an outcome of poor social interactivity and poor academic performance, or vice versa.

However, in Gentile’s new study, students demonstrated comorbid behavioral problems—particularly depression, anxiety, social phobias, and lower school performance—which developed as outcomes of their gaming addictions. According to the researchers, those students who started demonstrating pathological gaming behavior also experienced increased levels of depression, anxiety, or social phobia. Also, if students quit their gaming, their behavioral disorders were seen to improve. It wasn’t clear how gaming contributes to disordered behavior, only that the two are directly associated to one another.

However, not all gaming will result in pathological gaming. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, the researchers advise parents to keep their children’s gaming to an average of two hours or less per day. When video gaming begins to take precedence in the child’s life, especially over other normal activities like social interaction or school, then parents should become concerned.

Gentile’s team study reveals that gaming addiction occurs long term and can affect one’s lifestyle like other addictions, and is not just a symptom of comorbid disorders but a primary behavioral problem. The researchers’ new study has been published online is available in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Source: HealthDay, Video Game ‘Addiction’ Tied to Depression, Anxiety in Kids, January 17, 2011

Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychology have found that most teenagers who engage in video gaming do not become addicted. However the 5% of teens that do develop addictive behavior towards gaming are likely to also have such problem behaviors as drug use, alcohol use, smoking, and violence. Typically, studies on problem gaming have identified a strong link between addictive video game use and aggression; the new study, however, takes the investigation a step further by considering other health correlates related to problem gaming and their prevalence.

Lead researcher and associate professor of psychiatry and public health Rani Desai and colleagues surveyed a total of 4,028 high school students from the Connecticut area by using an anonymous questionnaire which asked participants to describe their gaming behavior and other activities that relate to their psychological health. About half of teenagers (51.2%) reported playing video games recreationally (less than seven hours of play per week), with 76.3% being male and 29.2% being female.

For these students, the researchers found no association between video game use and problem behavior, especially among boys. In fact, the majority of video gamers were male and were not likely to engage in hazardous behaviors such as drinking alcohol, using marijuana, or smoking, and were more likely to have a high grade point average. Overall, recreational use of video gaming was considered to be normal among high school boys as it was closely related with healthy behaviors.

The same could not be said among female players, however. Although a much smaller percentage of video gamers were female, high school girls who play video games were more likely than girls who don’t to report violent behavior, such as carrying a weapon to school or getting into fights. The researchers suggest that this trend might indicate that aggressive girls are more likely to play video games, rather than the act of gaming itself is the cause of their aggression. This result may also show that females who play video games are more likely to externalize their aggression rather than internalize their symptoms. For example, girls who reported playing video games were actually less likely to show signs of depression than girls who do not play. Both male and female gamers reported consuming caffeine on a regular basis, but female gamers reported higher average rates of consumption (three or more caffeinated beverages per day for girls vs. one to two beverages for boys).

Another 11% of teenagers reported playing video games for 20 hours or more per week. Among all the teenagers surveyed, 4.9% were classified as exhibiting problem gaming behavior, based on the presence of three main criteria: having made attempts to reduce time spent on gaming but failing to do so, feeling an irresistible impulse to play, and feeling tension that only gaming could relieve. Boys were more likely than girls to experience problem gaming (5.8% vs. 3.0%). The significant difference between problem gamers and other teenagers was the propensity toward problem behavior. Although these teenagers composed a small percentage of the entire population, they were most likely to exhibit multiple behavioral problems including higher rates of smoking, drug use, violence, and depression.

Current research investigating the causes and effects of problematic gaming have produced conflicting results, as the disordered behavior has only become prevalent with recent years. The researchers’ newest study contributes to the existing body of evidence that shows correlates to problem behaviors, yet does not identify their initial causes. Further research will be needed in order to identify whether problem gaming perhaps causes negative behaviors, or if problem gaming is more likely a symptom of other behavioral problems. Also, more research would be needed in order to identify safe levels of gaming among teenagers and to develop reliable forms of intervention and preventive techniques for parents. The study was published online on November 15 in the scientific journal Pediatrics.

Source: Health Day, Video Games Not Harmful to Most Teens: Study, November 15, 2010

A recent Bleacher Report piece focused on the addiction of Quinn Pitcock who had been drafted and signed by the Indianapolis Colts in 2007. He had a great outlook considering the talent he brought to the team. He had just finished a successful year at Ohio State, playing first-team All-American and a recipient of the best defensive linemen award with the Bill Willis Trophy.

A very short rookie year turned out to be successful for him as he even claimed some field time with 18 tackles with 1.5 sacks with the professional team. After this initial success, Pitcock retired and fans were left wondering how he could so quickly lose steam on the professional side of the game.

Pitcock, it seemed, wasn’t washed-up, but instead suffered from anxiety. This debilitating condition then led to addiction, but not one fueled by drugs or alcohol. Instead, Pitcock became hooked on video games.

In one report, Pitcock would log on Xbox Live to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and would often continue to play for 15 or 16 hours. When he recognized the game had a strong hold on him and he lacked the necessary tools to overcome the addiction on his own, Pitcock sought help. Quitting his gaming cold turkey, Pitcock hopes to once again be a part of the NFL and has been signed as a free agent by Seattle.