Association of Video Gaming With Cognitive Performance Among Children

Key Points Question What is the association between video gaming and cognitive performance in children? Findings As part of the national Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study and after controlling for confounding factors, results of this cross-sectional study of 2217 children showed very small levels of enhanced cognitive performance measured on inhibitory control and working tasks in children who played video games vs those who did not, although the video gamers had significantly higher attention problems, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder scores compared with the those who did not play video games. Functional MRI obtained clear blood oxygen level–dependent signal differences were associated with video gaming in task-related brain regions during inhibition control and working memory. Meaning These findings suggest that video gaming may be associated with very small cognitive performance enhancement involving response inhibition and working memory, and with alterations in underlying cortical pathways, but concerns about the association with mental health may warrant further study.