Cognitive deficits in problematic internet use: meta-analysis of 40 studies
Cognitive deficits in problematic internet use: meta-analysis of 40 studies
Background
Excessive use of the internet is increasingly recognised as a global public health concern. Individual studies have reported cognitive impairment in problematic internet use (PIU), but have suffered from various methodological limitations. Confirmation of cognitive deficits in PIU would support the neurobiological plausibility of this disorder.
Aims
To conduct a rigorous meta-analysis of cognitive performance in PIU from case–control studies; and to assess the impact of study quality, the main type of online behaviour (for example gaming) and other parameters on the findings.
Method
A systematic literature review was conducted of peer-reviewed case–controlled studies comparing cognition in people with PIU (broadly defined) with that of healthy controls. Findings were extracted and subjected to a meta-analysis where at least four publications existed for a given cognitive domain of interest.
Results
The meta-analysis comprised 2922 participants across 40 studies. Compared with controls, PIU was associated with significant impairment in inhibitory control (Stroop task Hedge's g = 0.53 (s.e. = 0.19–0.87), stop-signal task g = 0.42 (s.e. = 0.17–0.66), go/no-go task g = 0.51 (s.e. = 0.26–0.75)), decision-making (g = 0.49 (s.e. = 0.28–0.70)) and working memory (g = 0.40 (s.e. = 0.20–0.82)). Whether or not gaming was the predominant type of online behaviour did not significantly moderate the observed cognitive effects; nor did age, gender, geographical area of reporting or the presence of comorbidities.
Conclusions
PIU is associated with decrements across a range of neuropsychological domains, irrespective of geographical location, supporting its cross-cultural and biological validity. These findings also suggest a common neurobiological vulnerability across PIU behaviours, including gaming, rather than a dissimilar neurocognitive profile for internet gaming disorder.
639-646
Ioannidis, Konstantinos
82240a24-3153-45bb-bfaf-c6df9cd4f261
Hook, Roxanne
8e06533d-b2ca-4adb-9639-6ee8edafb3b7
Goudriaan, Anna E.
ae8cbc00-0954-408c-9f77-2a491f1bd70d
Vlies, Simon
cff4b033-9493-460e-9408-2948611435c2
Fineberg, Naomi A.
157dcac1-9fb2-4197-81f3-0167e1224f05
Grant, Jon E.
07372bd5-8a0d-42b4-b41b-e376c652acf3
Chamberlain, Samuel R.
8a0e09e6-f51f-4039-9287-88debe8d8b6f
1 November 2019
Ioannidis, Konstantinos
82240a24-3153-45bb-bfaf-c6df9cd4f261
Hook, Roxanne
8e06533d-b2ca-4adb-9639-6ee8edafb3b7
Goudriaan, Anna E.
ae8cbc00-0954-408c-9f77-2a491f1bd70d
Vlies, Simon
cff4b033-9493-460e-9408-2948611435c2
Fineberg, Naomi A.
157dcac1-9fb2-4197-81f3-0167e1224f05
Grant, Jon E.
07372bd5-8a0d-42b4-b41b-e376c652acf3
Chamberlain, Samuel R.
8a0e09e6-f51f-4039-9287-88debe8d8b6f
Ioannidis, Konstantinos, Hook, Roxanne, Goudriaan, Anna E., Vlies, Simon, Fineberg, Naomi A., Grant, Jon E. and Chamberlain, Samuel R.
(2019)
Cognitive deficits in problematic internet use: meta-analysis of 40 studies.
British Journal of Psychiatry, 215 (5), .
(doi:10.1192/bjp.2019.3).
Abstract
Background
Excessive use of the internet is increasingly recognised as a global public health concern. Individual studies have reported cognitive impairment in problematic internet use (PIU), but have suffered from various methodological limitations. Confirmation of cognitive deficits in PIU would support the neurobiological plausibility of this disorder.
Aims
To conduct a rigorous meta-analysis of cognitive performance in PIU from case–control studies; and to assess the impact of study quality, the main type of online behaviour (for example gaming) and other parameters on the findings.
Method
A systematic literature review was conducted of peer-reviewed case–controlled studies comparing cognition in people with PIU (broadly defined) with that of healthy controls. Findings were extracted and subjected to a meta-analysis where at least four publications existed for a given cognitive domain of interest.
Results
The meta-analysis comprised 2922 participants across 40 studies. Compared with controls, PIU was associated with significant impairment in inhibitory control (Stroop task Hedge's g = 0.53 (s.e. = 0.19–0.87), stop-signal task g = 0.42 (s.e. = 0.17–0.66), go/no-go task g = 0.51 (s.e. = 0.26–0.75)), decision-making (g = 0.49 (s.e. = 0.28–0.70)) and working memory (g = 0.40 (s.e. = 0.20–0.82)). Whether or not gaming was the predominant type of online behaviour did not significantly moderate the observed cognitive effects; nor did age, gender, geographical area of reporting or the presence of comorbidities.
Conclusions
PIU is associated with decrements across a range of neuropsychological domains, irrespective of geographical location, supporting its cross-cultural and biological validity. These findings also suggest a common neurobiological vulnerability across PIU behaviours, including gaming, rather than a dissimilar neurocognitive profile for internet gaming disorder.
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 1 April 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 20 February 2019
Published date: 1 November 2019
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 443460
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/443460
ISSN: 0007-1250
PURE UUID: 6184205e-8fe4-47c2-b970-339f4c98e024
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Date deposited: 26 Aug 2020 16:35
Last modified: 30 Aug 2024 02:00
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Contributors
Author:
Konstantinos Ioannidis
Author:
Roxanne Hook
Author:
Anna E. Goudriaan
Author:
Simon Vlies
Author:
Naomi A. Fineberg
Author:
Jon E. Grant
Author:
Samuel R. Chamberlain
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