Problematic usage of the internet and cognition

The neurocognitive correlates of non-substance addictive behaviors

Neurocognitive deficits have been implicated as transdiagnostic risk markers of substance use disorders. However, these have yet to be comprehensively evaluated in other, non-substance addictions. In a large, general community sample (N = 475) the present study evaluated the neurocognitive correlates of problem alcohol use and three non-substance-related addictive behaviors: addictive eating (AE), problematic pornography use (PPU), and problematic use of the internet (PUI), to identify potential shared and distinct neurocognitive correlates. A sample of Australian residents (54.4 % female M[SD] age = 32.4[11.9] years) completed a comprehensive online assessment of neurocognitive tasks tapping into eight distinct expert-endorsed domains purportedly associated with addiction. Multiple linear regressions with bootstrapping were used to examine associations among each addictive behavior of interest and neurocognition, trait impulsivity, and compulsivity, as well as key covariates. Neurocognition was differentially associated with each addictive behavior. None of the neurocognitive domains were significantly associated with problematic alcohol use or AE (p >.05), poorer performance monitoring was significantly associated with higher levels of PPU and PUI (β = -0.10, p =.049; β = -0.09, p =.028), and a preference for delayed gratification was associated with more severe PUI (β = -0.10, p =.025). Our findings have theoretical implications for how we understand non-substance addiction and suggest the need for a more nuanced approach to studying addictive behaviors that take into account the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms associated with each type of addiction.

Impaired Control Over Gaming Scale (ICOGS): Development, confirmatory factor validation, and psychometric evaluation

Background and aims

The concept of impaired control is central to addictive disorders, including gaming disorder in the DSM-5 and ICD-11. Impaired control refers to the recurrent inability to resist impulses to engage in certain activities or behaviours and the failure to limit or stop this engagement. Although numerous screening tools for gaming disorder symptoms have been developed, these instruments have limited capacity for measuring the nature and extent of impaired control. To address this limitation, the present study reports on the creation of the Impaired Control Over Gaming Scale (ICOGS), an 8-item screening tool to assess gaming-related impaired control.

Methods

A total of 513 gamers, including 125 gamers (24.3%) who met the DSM-5 criteria for gaming disorder, were recruited from Prolific, an online crowd-sourcing platform.

Results

The ICOGS demonstrated promising psychometric properties. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis using two samples provided robust support for a 2-factor model and high internal consistency of the scale. ICOGS scores were significantly and positively associated with gaming disorder symptoms, gaming-related harms, gaming frequency, psychological distress, and neuroticism. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the ICOGS differentiated between non-problem gamers and those who met the criteria for GD.

Discussion and conclusions

Overall, the ICOGS appears to be a valid and reliable scale for use in studies of problem gaming, and may be useful for assessing outcomes of GD interventions that employ self-regulation and stopping techniques to reduce or eliminate problem gaming behavior.