Internet Gaming Disorder and its Association with Cognitive Function: A Comparison Between Gamers and Non-Gamers

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of Internet Gaming Disorder and the association between IGD and cognitive functions. Study Design: Analytical cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Different universities of Twin cities from Jun to Sep 2022. Methodology: A total of 367 participants of 18-26 year-age, belonging to either gender and currently enrolled in a university and excluding someone with priorly diagnosed mental illness were included. Data was collected by questionnaires via Google forms, filled voluntarily after informed consent. Participants filled the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale Short Form to assess gaming addiction and the cognitive failures questionnaire for cognitive function (CFQ). Mean scores were calculated for questionnaires to assess frequency of gamers based on cut-off score of 32 and association of gaming with demographics and cognitive functions was found out by applying Chi-square test. Results: Out of total 367, 193(52%) males and 174(48%) females participated, with 248 gamers 158(64%) males and 90(36%) females) and 119 non-gamers 25(29%) males and 94(71%) females. Out of these gamers 19(7.6%) individuals -15(79%) males and 4(21%) females- scored as disordered. Association between CFQ and IGD scores was statistically insignificant (p-value =0.062) however the mean scores of different domains of CFQ were relatively higher for disordered as compared to other categories of gamers. Conclusion: Males were significantly more likely to play games. Overall prevalence of IGD was low. No significant association was found between IGD and cognitive failures of gamers and non-gamers.