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. 2024 Sep;34(3):738-767.
doi: 10.1007/s11065-023-09599-y. Epub 2023 Sep 5.

Systematic Review of Gaming and Neuropsychological Assessment of Social Cognition

Elodie Hurel  1   2 , Marie Grall-Bronnec  1   2 , Orianne Bouillard  1 , Marion Chirio-Espitalier  1   2 , Malcolm Barrangou-Poueys-Darlas  1 , Gaëlle Challet-Bouju  3   4
Affiliations

Systematic Review of Gaming and Neuropsychological Assessment of Social Cognition

Elodie Hurel et al. Neuropsychol Rev. 2024 Sep.

Abstract

Playing video games is associated with cognitive changes and possibly psychosocial difficulties. Problematic gaming occurs upon the loss of control over videogame playing; gaming disorder is considered a behavioral addiction in the 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases. Models used to understand behavioral addictions include cognition as an essential factor in the development, maintenance, and relapse of addiction. Nevertheless, some aspects of cognition, such as social cognition, remain underexplored, despite evidence of alterations in cognitive and social function among patients with problematic gaming. This review aimed to describe the current understanding of social cognition in individuals exposed to videogames. We included all studies assessing social cognition in participants of any age with a wide range of exposure to video games (from simple use of video games (such as at least two exposures) to problematic gaming, defined according to the included study). This wide range of exposure allowed us to explore the whole process from repeated exposure to addiction. We included only studies that used neuropsychological tasks to assess social cognition. Patient-reported outcomes that could be biased by subjective self-report data were not included. The search was conducted from inception to January 2022 in three databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science). The systematic search identified 39 studies that assessed facial emotion processing, empathy, theory of mind, social decision-making, aggressive behavior, and moral competence. In general, results have been mixed, and a number of questions remain unanswered. Nevertheless, several studies showed cerebral changes when processing facial emotion that were linked with problematic gaming, while no link was obtained between nonproblematic gaming and empathy alterations. The influences of cooperation patterns, theory of mind, moral competence, and gaming frequency were highlighted. Finally, there was substantial heterogeneity in the population assessed and the methods used.

Keywords: Gaming disorder; Neuropsychology; Problematic gaming; Social cognition; Video games.

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Conflict of interest statement

EH, MGB, MBPD, MCE, GCB, declare that the Endowment Fund of the University Hospital of Nantes received funding from the gambling industry (FDJ and PMU) for the present study as part of the implementation of the obligation to finance scientific studies on gambling and related addictive disorders (Law n° 2010-476 of May 12th modified, art. 3). This funding is carried out in the form of a sponsorship donated to the Endowment Fund of the University Hospital of Nantes whereas the sponsor of the study is the University Hospital of Nantes, making it possible to guarantee the scientific independence, objectivity and impartiality of the research work

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Flowchart of the systematic review
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