Study Highlights

• The study enrolled 2217 children at 9 or 10 years of age at 21 centers in the United States. Most recruitment was performed in schools, and participants were generally healthy. Participants included in the study had valid neuroimaging and behavioral data. Exclusions included common MRI contraindications, history of major neurologic disorders, and history of traumatic brain imaging.
• All children underwent a health assessment that included an evaluation for psychiatric and behavioral issues. They also answered survey questions regarding average daily screen time, including video games.
• Participants completed the Stop Signal Task, which assesses processing speed and impulse control, as well as the n-back task, which measures working memory.
• Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during these tests to assess brain activity.
• The main study analysis compared testing along with fMRI results in video gamers and non-video gamers. The study analysis accounted for demographic variables, as well as behavioral and psychiatric pathology.
• 1278 children who reported 0 hours of video gaming per week were compared with 800 gamers who played at least 21 hours of games per week. The mean age of children was 9.9 years, and 63.1% were female.
• Video gamers and non-video gamers had generally similar characteristics at baseline, but video gamers were more likely to be male and have lower parental income.
• The overall performance on cognitive testing fit within the norms of historical models. Video gamers demonstrated significantly better scores in both the Stop Signal Task and n-back task compared with non-video gamers.
• Correct answers on the Stop Signal Test were associated with increased brain activity in the bilateral precuneous among video gamers vs non-video gamers. Incorrect answers were not associated with a difference in fMRI studies.
• Similarly, video gamers had increased brain activity in the bilateral parts of the dorsal posterior cingulate gyrus, subparietal cortex, middle and superior frontal gyri, and precuneus.
• fMRI study results demonstrated higher activity for video gamers among both girls and boys.
• Adjustment for behavioral and psychiatric problems failed to alter the study’s main conclusions.

What to know:

• Children who regularly spent 3 or more hours per day gaming were able to score higher on standard cognitive tests that measured short-term memory and impulse control.
• Video gaming, which requires active mental engagement, could have some benefits, but it is unclear whether gaming sharpens kids’ minds or simply that children who excel in certain mental tasks are drawn to video games.
• Gamers also showed higher levels of activity in parts of the brain associated with attention and working memory.
• There was no evidence that video gamers who played at least 3 hours a day were worse off in terms of mental health, rule breaking, or attention problems than kids who never gamed.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screen-time limits, and no changes are being recommended based on the findings, because although the study shows possible benefits, it also does not prove that video gaming and the genre of games played cause no harm.

This is a summary of the article “Association of Video Gaming With Cognitive Performance Among Children” published in JAMA Network Open on October 24, 2022.^[1] The full article can be found on jamanetwork.com.