The Latest Exploration of Gaming Disorders and Related Mental Health Issues

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropsychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (8 August 2025) | Viewed by 257

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Psychiatry, Tokiwa Hospital, Sapporo 005-0853, Japan
2. Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo 060-8543, Japan
Interests: gaming disorder; internet addiction; behavioral addiction

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
National Hospital Organization Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center, Yokosuka, Japan
Interests: addiction; gaming disorder; gambling disorder

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The most popular leisure activity among young people, including children, is playing video games. As the internet has become an indispensable part of our daily lives, it is common to enjoy games online. In recent years, online gaming has become common even among young children. However, excessive gaming is known to cause a variety of mental health problems in children and adolescents. 

This Special Issue explores new findings on the gaming disorder (GD), which is defined as a mental disorder in ICD-11. ICD-11 officially came into effect in January 2022. Although the term 'gaming disorder' has become well known, the actual conditions of GD are still not fully understood. We are at a stage where we should be accumulating knowledge and strategies to confront this disorder.

This Special Issue invites papers regarding all aspects of gaming in order to explore our understanding of GD from a multi-faceted view. Any papers related to GD will be welcomed.

Dr. Masaru Tateno
Guest Editor

Dr. Takanobu Matsuzaki
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gaming disorder
  • internet gaming disorder
  • hazardous gaming
  • pathological gaming
  • internet addiction
  • problematic internet use
  • behavioral addiction

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

12 pages, 556 KB  
Article
Difficulty in Attention Switching and Its Neural Basis in Problematic Smartphone Use
by Nanase Kobayashi, Daisuke Jitoku, Toshitaka Hamamura, Masaru Honjo, Yusei Yamaguchi, Masaaki Shimizu, Shunsuke Takagi, Junya Fujino, Genichi Sugihara and Hidehiko Takahashi
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(10), 1100; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15101100 - 13 Oct 2025
Abstract
Background: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) involves excessive smartphone engagement that disrupts daily functioning and is linked to attentional control deficits and altered reward processing. The nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a key structure in the reward system, may contribute to difficulty disengaging from rewarding [...] Read more.
Background: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) involves excessive smartphone engagement that disrupts daily functioning and is linked to attentional control deficits and altered reward processing. The nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a key structure in the reward system, may contribute to difficulty disengaging from rewarding digital content. This study examined relationships between NAcc volume, attentional switching, and objectively measured nighttime screen time in individuals with PSU. Methods: Fifty-three participants (aged ≥ 13 years) from an outpatient internet dependency clinic completed psychological assessments, brain MRI, and smartphone logging. PSU was diagnosed by two psychiatrists. Attentional switching was measured via the Autism Spectrum Quotient subscale. Nighttime screen time (00:00–06:00) was recorded via smartphone. MRI-derived NAcc volumes were normalized to total gray matter volume. Correlations, multiple regression (controlling for ASD and ADHD), and mediation analyses were conducted. Results: Difficulty in attention switching correlated with larger right NAcc volume (r = 0.45, p = 0.012) and increased nighttime screen time (r = 0.44, p = 0.014). Right NAcc volume also correlated with nighttime screen time (r = 0.46, p = 0.012). Regression showed right NAcc volume predicted nighttime screen time (β = 0.33, p = 0.022), whereas attentional switching was not significant. Mediation was unsupported. Sensitivity analyses confirmed associations. Conclusions: Larger right NAcc volume independently predicts prolonged nighttime smartphone use and is associated with impaired attentional switching in PSU. Structural variations in reward-related regions may underlie difficulty disengaging from digital content. Integrating neurobiological, cognitive, and behavioral measures offers a framework for understanding PSU. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop