Video Game Group Research Articles

Effect of virtual reality video games on gross motor function of children with cerebral palsy

Objective To explore the effect of virtual reality video games on gross motor skills of children with cerebral palsy. Methods The 56 patients with cerebral palsy treated in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from April 2015 to April 2017 were selected as the subjects.The age of the patients was (5.4±1.2) years old (5-7 years old). According to the results of Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) assessment, all patients belonged to level Ⅰ-Ⅱ.All patients were randomly divided-into 2 groups: video-game group and conventional exercise group for 6 weeks of functional exercise.The evaluation criteria included the average exercise time, the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and general motion function challenge module (GMFMS-CM) measurement and evaluation. Results The average exercise time of video games in video game group was (44.2 ± 6.1) minutes.The encouragement from the therapists in the intervention process was very important.The technical problems also had a relatively high proportion, and the technical guidance and training should be emphasized at the beginning of the study.The ave-rage score of the Likert scale showed that the practice program was suitable for the patients; GMFMS-CM in video-game group was significantly higher [mean difference was 4.8, the quartile (IQP) was 4.68, Z=-2.025, P=0.035], while conventional exercise group showed an increasing trend which was not significantly different; 6MWT showed a significant increase in the mean level of video-game group (mean difference was 69.1 m, IQR was 40.2 m, Z=-2.108, P=0.045), conventional exercise group was significantly lower than the average level of subjects in video-game group and there was no significant change in the study period. Conclusion For children with cerebral palsy, routine functional rehabilitation exercise plus family-style virtual reality video game practice, on the one hand to improve patient compliance with the treatment, on the other hand can significantly improve their physical movement function, which is conducive for the patients′ quality of life and self-care ability. Key words: Virtual reality; Video game; Cerebral palsy; Motor function

Game analysis and clinical use of the Xbox-Kinect for stroke rehabilitation.

Whole-body movement is required to interact (play) with Microsoft Xbox with the 3D Kinect sensor (Xbox-Kinect) and, therefore, may be suitable for encouraging and practicing movements as part of stroke rehabilitation. We aimed to describe (i) game analysis, (ii) clinical use, and (iii) to characterize the Xbox-Kinect game experience with individuals with chronic stroke. Four therapists played the Xbox-Kinect games and then carried out a games analysis on the basis of the categories suggested by Deutsch. Eleven participants (age 29-69 years) with chronic stroke and varying motor deficits played Xbox-Kinect games for 4-22 sessions as part of a video-game group intervention and the clinical use was documented. The game experience of 'Bowling' (Kinect-Sport) and '20 000 leaks' (Kinect Adventures) was characterized by self-report questionnaires. Detailed tables of game analysis are provided. The clinical use of the console with the participants is presented. Participants reported high enjoyment and 'somewhat-high' perceived exertion after playing the two games and stated that overall the console suited their therapeutic goals. This information can assist clinicians with their clinical reasoning and decision-making for incorporating the Xbox-Kinect into stroke rehabilitation. Potentially, the Xbox-Kinect could be used as an on-going tool to facilitate whole-body movement and physical activity of individuals with chronic stroke.

A video-game group intervention: Experiences and perceptions of adults with chronic stroke and their therapists: Intervention de groupe à l'aide de jeux vidéo : Expériences et perceptions d'adultes en phase chronique d'un accident vasculaire cérébral et de leurs ergothérapeutes.

Ongoing physical activity is important for maintaining the functional level of individuals with chronic stroke. Video games in a group setting might be a cost-effective way for providing mobility and preventing physical inactivity. This study explores the experiences and perceptions of individuals with chronic stroke who participated in a novel community-based video-game group intervention and their therapists. A qualitative study, nested in a randomized controlled trial, was conducted using semistructured interviews with eight individuals with chronic stroke (four men and four women) ages 29 to 69 and a focus group of their three occupational therapists, following a video-game intervention. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Three main categories were identified by the study participants: (a) using video games, (b) the group/team experience, and (c) intervention outcomes/evolving understandings following the intervention. Playing video games was perceived not as treatment but as a motivating tool to facilitate whole-body movement. Therefore, this intervention might be suitable to be used in the community for ongoing intervention.

Spontaneous Brain Activity Did Not Show the Effect of Violent Video Games on Aggression: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

A great many of empirical researches have proved that longtime exposure to violent video game can lead to a series of negative effects. Although research has focused on the neural basis of the correlation between violent video game and aggression, little is known whether the spontaneous brain activity is associated with violent video game exposure. To address this question, we measured the spontaneous brain activity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We used the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and fractional ALFF (fALFF) to quantify spontaneous brain activity. The results showed there is no significant difference in ALFF, or fALFF, between violent video game group and the control part, indicating that long time exposure to violent video games won’t significantly influence spontaneous brain activity, especially the core brain regions such as execution control, moral judgment and short-term memory. This implies the adverse impact of violent video games is exaggerated.

Occupational therapy rehabilitation of industrial setup hand injury cases for functional independence using modified joystick in interactive computer gaming in Anand, Gujarat

Background: The prevalence of hand injury cases in India from road traffic incidences is about 30% and the total number of hand injuries would go higher on adding the industrial injury cases. Several studies have provided preliminary descriptions of the benefits of virtual reality and video games in rehabilitation training. There are many studies showing beneficial utility of video games in rehabilitation and improvement of functional independence of the hand injury patients using high-cost video game such as “Wii” and others. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to find the impact of low-cost video game therapy against the conventional therapy in improving the hand function in terms of range of motion, grip strengths, and functional independence. Materials and Methods: Patients coming to occupational therapy unit with hand injury fulfilling inclusion-exclusion criteria and agreeing to participate in the study were randomly divided into two groups - conventional therapy group and video game group based on the computer-generated random allocation. The duration of therapy was same for the two groups. The readings for hand function in terms of range of motion, grip strengths, and functional independence were documented for both the groups before the treatment and after the treatment and were compared statistically for finding the difference if any. Results: The findings of the study showed that both the groups had improved in terms of the hand function as in the range of motion, grip strengths, and functional independence at the end of treatment irrespective of the treatment arm they were in P 0.05). However, the experimental group seemed to enjoy their treatment more than their counterparts as expressed in informal communications; therefore, we may conclude the gaming method to be more preferred method of the treatment for the condition. Conclusion: We conclude that the video gaming method is as effective as that of the conventional method for improving the strengths, grip, range of motion, and functional independence in hand injury cases, but the video gaming being more interesting and involving, is deemed to be much more enjoyable by the patients compared to the conventional. Since the patients find it interesting, they look forward for more of the sessions. This is a positive motivation for the compliance of the patients for completing the treatment properly and getting maximum benefit of the therapy.

The Myth of Blunted Gamers: No Evidence for Desensitization in Empathy for Pain after a Violent Video Game Intervention in a Longitudinal fMRI Study on Non-Gamers

Background/Aims: It is a common concern in the research field and the community that habitual violent video gaming reduces empathy for pain in its players. However, previous fMRI studies have only compared habitual game players against control participants cross-sectionally. However the observed pattern of results may be due to a priori differences in people who become gamers and who not. In order to derive the causal conclusion that violent video game play causes desensitisation, longitudinal studies are needed. Methods: Therefore we conducted a longitudinal fMRI intervention study over 16 weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to 1) play a violent video game (Grand Theft Auto 5), 2) perform a social life simulation game (The Sims 3) 30 min/day for 8 weeks, 3) serve as passive control. To assess empathy processing, participants were exposed to painful and non-painful stimuli (e.g. someone cutting a cucumber with or without hurting herself) either as real photographs or video-game like depictions in a 3T MRI scanner before and after the training intervention as well as two months after training. Results: We did not find any evidence for desensitization in the empathy network for pain in the violent video game group at any time point. Conclusions: The present results provide strong evidence against the frequently proclaimed negative effects of playing violent video games and will therefore help to communicate a more realistic scientific perspective of the effects of violent video gaming in real life.

Is prosocial video game exposure related to prosociality? An ERP study based on a prosocial help needed decision task

Previous research has shown that exposure to prosocial video games increases empathy and related-prosocial behaviors. However, little is known about the neural correlates of this effect. This work examined the electrophysiological features of the prosocial video game effect on prosociality by using a help-needed decision task. Seventy participants played either prosocial or neutral video games for 20 min and then participated in an event-related potential (ERP) experiment that estimated the perceived need for help in others and prosocial behavior (i.e., charitable money donated). The results showed no significant differences between the two games in perceived need for help and money donation (prosocial behavior). Moreover, there were inconsistent results for N2 and P300 waves, in which weak evidence was found for larger frontal N2 when help was needed but not offered in the prosocial video game group; however, there were no differences in right-parietal P300 amplitudes. These findings provide no supportive evidence for the general learning model, which proposes that prosocial video games may promote empathy and prosocial-related behaviors. However, we should note the limitation of the small sample size. Further implications and limitations are discussed.

Video Game Vision Syndrome: A New Clinical Picture in Children?

To examine a possible relationship between exposure to video games/electronic screens and visual issues in children between 3 and 10 years of age. An observational, cross-sectional study of a population of children using video games was employed. All patients between 3 and 10 years of age were recruited at an outpatient unit accredited by the Italian Regional Health Service. Three hundred twenty children (159 boys and 161 girls; mean age = 6.9 ± 2 years) were observed. Ophthalmological examination included assessment of stereoscopic vision on Lang-Stereotests I and II (LANG-STEREOTEST AG, Küsnacht, Switzerland) and identification of the dominant eye using the Dolman method. Furthermore, a questionnaire was used to record asthenopic symptoms and daily exposure to video games and electronic screens. Two groups of children were examined according to the average amount of time spent playing video games daily: children who played video games for less than 30 minutes per day and not every day (control group) and children who played video games for 30 minutes or more every day (video game group). Both groups were then divided into two subgroups: children using other types of electronic screens (eg, televisions, computers, tablets, and smartphones) for less than 3 hours daily (low electronic use subgroup) and children using other types of electronic screens for 3 hours or more per day (high electronic use subgroup). Asthenopia (especially headache, eyelid tic, transient diplopia, and dizziness), absence of fine stereopsis, and refractive errors were statistically more frequent (mainly in the dominant eye) in children in the video game group. These symptoms were frequent and peculiar in the video game group and might be part of a video game vision syndrome that has not been defined yet. It is important to recognize these signs as possible functional disorders to avoid erroneous diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2017;54(6):346-355.].

Acute effects of video-game playing versus television viewing on stress markers and food intake in overweight and obese young men: A randomised controlled trial

BackgroundSedentary or near-sedentary activities are associated with overweight/obesity in epidemiological studies. This has traditionally been attributed to physical activity displacement. A little-explored area is whether behavioural stresses alter sensations of appetite and eating behaviour. We examined whether behaviours conducted seated (television viewing, video gaming) induce different eating patterns, associated with differential levels of stress response. Methods and findingsWe conducted a randomized controlled trial in 72 overweight/obese adult males, assigned to three groups (24 per group): (i) non-violent television (control group); (ii) non-violent game (FIFA); (iii) violent game (Call of Duty). Following a standardized breakfast, the 1-h intervention was followed by 25-min rest, with sweet and savoury snacks and drinks available ad libitum. Stress markers (heart rate, blood pressure, visual analogue scale (VAS)) were measured throughout. Heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and stress by VAS were significantly higher (p < 0.05) playing video games than watching non-violent television, though the two game groups did not differ. Considered separately, only the violent video game group consumed more energy (Δ = 208.3 kcal, 95%CI 16, 400), sweet foods (Δ = 25.9 g, 95%CI 9.9, 41.9) and saturated fat (Δ = 4.36 g, 95%CI 0.76, 7.96) than controls. ConclusionPlaying video games in overweight/obese adult males is associated with an acute stress response relative to watching non-violent television, associated with greater subsequent food intake. These findings highlight the need to focus on the metabolic effects, as well as the energy costs, of activities involving sitting in relation to obesity risk.

Evaluation of the Role of Monocular Video Game Play as an Adjuvant to Occlusion Therapy in the Management of Anisometropic Amblyopia.

To evaluate the role of monocular video game play as an adjuvant to occlusion therapy in the treatment of anisometropic amblyopia. In a prospective randomized study design, 68 children with ages ranging from 6 to 14 years who had anisometropic amblyopia with a best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the amblyopic eye of better than 6/36 and worse than 6/12 and no manifest strabismus were recruited. They were randomly allocated into two groups: 34 children received 1 hour per day of video game play for the first month plus 6 hours per day of occlusion therapy (video game and occlusion group) and 34 children received 6 hours per day of occlusion therapy alone (occlusion only group). Patients were then evaluated at baseline and 1 and 3 months after treatment for BCVA, stereoacuity, and contrast sensitivity. In the video game and occlusion group, BCVA improved from 0.61 ± 0.12 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) at baseline to 0.51 ± 0.14 logMAR (P = .001) at 1 month and 0.40 ± 0.15 logMAR (P = .001) at 3 months. In the occlusion only group, BCVA improved from 0.65 ± 0.09 logMAR at baseline to 0.60 ± 0.10 logMAR (P = .001) at 1 month and 0.48 ± 0.10 logMAR (P = .001) at 3 months. There was significantly more improvement in the video game and occlusion group compared to the occlusion only group (P = .003 at 1 month and P = .027 at 3 months). Video game play plus occlusion therapy enhances the visual recovery in anisometropic amblyopia. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2017;54(4):244-249.].

Facilitation or disengagement? Attention bias in facial affect processing after short-term violent video game exposure.

Previous research has been inconsistent on whether violent video games exert positive and/or negative effects on cognition. In particular, attentional bias in facial affect processing after violent video game exposure continues to be controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate attentional bias in facial recognition after short term exposure to violent video games and to characterize the neural correlates of this effect. In order to accomplish this, participants were exposed to either neutral or violent video games for 25 min and then event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during two emotional search tasks. The first search task assessed attentional facilitation, in which participants were required to identify an emotional face from a crowd of neutral faces. In contrast, the second task measured disengagement, in which participants were required to identify a neutral face from a crowd of emotional faces. Our results found a significant presence of the ERP component, N2pc, during the facilitation task; however, no differences were observed between the two video game groups. This finding does not support a link between attentional facilitation and violent video game exposure. Comparatively, during the disengagement task, N2pc responses were not observed when participants viewed happy faces following violent video game exposure; however, a weak N2pc response was observed after neutral video game exposure. These results provided only inconsistent support for the disengagement hypothesis, suggesting that participants found it difficult to separate a neutral face from a crowd of emotional faces.

Use of Video Games in Strengthening and Functional Recovery of the Hand in Patients Submitted to Ulnar Neurorrhaphy

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of video games as a therapeutic tool to strengthen the hand muscles and assist the functional recovery of patients after ulnar neurorrhaphy. Methods: Six patients with lesion of the ulnar nerve participated in this pilot study. They were divided into 2 groups: a kinesiotherapy group (KG) and a video game group (VG), which employed video games together with grip and pinch dynamometers and electromyography electrodes (E-Link Kit, Biometrics). Two evaluations were conducted, one at the beginning and the other at the end of the final stage of physical therapy (strengthening phase). Evaluation of the patients employed (1) grip and pinch strength, (2) the Rosen and Lundborg Score, and (3) the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. The strengthening program was started in the final phase of lesion recovery and was continued for 2 months, with 1-hour sessions conducted twice weekly. The 2 groups started exercises to strengthen the wrist flexors and extensors and the intrinsic/extrinsic muscles of the fingers. The KG was treated using manual resistance, resistance bands, dumbbells, hand therapy putty, and finger exercisers. The VG performed the strengthening protocol with the use of video games. A total of 4 games were selected to perform the strengthening protocol. Isotonic exercise was chosen to strengthen the abductor minimi muscle, using Myo-EX, because of muscle weakness. For simultaneous strengthening of the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the hand was used the H500 hand grip dynamometer. For the adductor pollicis muscle was used the H500 pinch dynamometer. In the case of the lumbrical and interosseous muscles, and in this game, isometric tripod pinch force is required. The same game was repeated 3 times (each with 10 repetitions of the exercises). At the beginning of each session, measurements were made of the forces used and the amplitudes of the electromyographic signals corresponding to each game. From these values, a decreasing strength protocol was established (75%, 50%, and 25% of the maximum load) using the modified Oxford protocol. Results: The normalized measurements of grip and pinch strength revealed gains in strength for all patients in both groups, although the average increases were greater for the VG (9.23 kgf) than KG (6.17 kgf). The motor domain values were higher than those for the sensory domain, and in the final assessment, the value obtained for the motor domain by the VG (0.94) was higher than achieved by the KG (0.72). The final score for the VG (2.25) was also higher than for the KG (1.85). In the assessment of functional disability using the DASH method, the mean baseline score was 33.8% for the KG and 14.2% for the VG, while the final assessment scores were 29% and 10.9%, respectively. Conclusion: It could be concluded that the strengthening achieved using the proposed protocol with video games was greater than obtained with conventional kinesiotherapy resistance treatment of patients after ulnar neurorrhaphy.

Highlights in this issue

Björn Lundberg et al report that hospital-assisted home care after early discharge from a Swedish neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) between 2002 and 2011 was safe for the vast majority of infants (94.8%) 1. However, Gorm Greisen, who recently published experiences from an early discharge programme in Denmark 2, expresses his concerns in the accompanying editorial 3. Two cases of sudden infant death syndrome out of a combined total of 2000 infants suggest that there may be a problem. Readers may also be interested to see the paper by Charlotta Robinson et al 4, who report that using telemedicine to help care for newborn infants after their NICU discharge reduced the need for hospital visits. Drowning has been described as a secret epidemic in Bangladesh. Mosharaf Hossain et al held focus groups with parents and community leaders in rural Bangladesh in an attempt to develop an intervention package that prevented children under the age of five from drowning. Most drownings occurred around lunchtime and the risk factors included children not being able to swim, unfilled ditches, lack of medical facilities and lack of parental awareness. The authors concluded that a safety education programme could be effective in increasing knowledge and changing attitudes among parents and reduce the number of young children drowning in the country 5. Stephanie Kukora and Naomi Laventhal suggest that adults who refuse the influenza vaccine should not receive extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during influenza epidemics if resources are scarce. The authors share their own experiences from a cold night in January 2013, when a severely ill newborn baby risked being refused ECMO as the H1N1 flu epidemic meant that the pressure on equipment and staffing levels had reached breaking point 6. Tracy K Koogler and Michael Broomé discuss the ethical dilemma of medical decision-making in times of scarce technological and human resources 7, 8. Children with refractory or high-risk malignancies frequently suffer from poor quality of life during palliative care. In this Finnish study by Mikaela Porkholm et al, 17 children with end-stage malignancies achieved a significantly better quality of life when they received low daily doses of chemotherapy 9. However, 76% of the patients experienced serious adverse events, emphasising the need for careful patient selection to minimise the risk of toxicity. Nicolas Andre et al comment on the findings 10. Distraction is a useful intervention for venipuncture pain in children, but there is no evidence of which distraction technique is the most useful. This randomised controlled trial by Franca Crevatin et al compared the efficacy of children playing the Angry Bird game on a hand-held computer with nurse-led distraction in a blood drawing centre in Italy. Only one in six children in the computer game group reported pain during venipuncture, which was as effective as being distracted by nurses 11.

Impact of Current Video Game Playing on Robotic Simulation Skills Among Medical Students

Objective: To evaluate the impact of current and prior video game playing on initial robotic simulation skill acquisition. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study (Canadian Task Force Classification II-1) was conducted at a medical university training center. The study subjects were medical students who currently played video games (Group I) and those who had not played video games in the last 2 years (Group II). The robotic skills of both groups were assessed using simulation. Results: Twenty-two students enrolled in this study; however, only 21 completed it. The median age of the participants was 23 (22-24) years and 24 (23-26) years in Groups I and II, respectively. Among the participants, 15 (71.4%) were male and 6 (28.5%) were female, and 90.4% of the students started playing video games in primary school. When the 2 groups were compared according to the completion time of each exercise, Group I finished more quickly than Group II in the Peg Board-1 exercise (p>0.05), whereas Group II had better results in 3 exercises including Pick and Place, Ring and Rail, and Thread the Rings-1. However, none of the differences were found to be statistically significant (p>.05), and according to the overall scores based on the time to complete exercises, economy of motion, instrument collision, use of excessive instrument force, instruments out of view, and master workspace range, the scores were not statistically different between Groups I and II (p>.05). Conclusion: According to the basic robotic simulation exercise results, there was no difference between medical students who used to play video games and those who still played video games. Studies evaluating baseline visuospatial skills with larger sample sizes are needed. (J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc 2015; 16: 1-4)

Active Video Game Exercise Training Improves the Clinical Control of Asthma in Children: Randomized Controlled Trial.

ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to determine whether aerobic exercise involving an active video game system improved asthma control, airway inflammation and exercise capacity in children with moderate to severe asthma.DesignA randomized, controlled, single-blinded clinical trial was carried out. Thirty-six children with moderate to severe asthma were randomly allocated to either a video game group (VGG; N = 20) or a treadmill group (TG; n = 16). Both groups completed an eight-week supervised program with two weekly 40-minute sessions. Pre-training and post-training evaluations involved the Asthma Control Questionnaire, exhaled nitric oxide levels (FeNO), maximum exercise testing (Bruce protocol) and lung function.ResultsNo differences between the VGG and TG were found at the baseline. Improvements occurred in both groups with regard to asthma control and exercise capacity. Moreover, a significant reduction in FeNO was found in the VGG (p < 0.05). Although the mean energy expenditure at rest and during exercise training was similar for both groups, the maximum energy expenditure was higher in the VGG.ConclusionThe present findings strongly suggest that aerobic training promoted by an active video game had a positive impact on children with asthma in terms of clinical control, improvementin their exercise capacity and a reductionin pulmonary inflammation.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT01438294

Impact of video game genre on surgical skills development: a feasibility study

BackgroundThe playing of video games (VGs) was previously shown to improve surgical skills. This is the first randomized, controlled study to assess the impact of VG genre on the development of basic surgical skills. Materials and methodsTwenty first–year, surgically inexperienced medical students attended a practical course on surgical knots, suturing, and skin-flap technique. Later, they were randomized into four groups: control and/or nongaming (ContG), first-person-shooter game (ShotG), racing game (RaceG), and surgery game (SurgG). All participants had 3 wk of Nintendo Wii training. Surgical and VG performances were assessed by two independent, blinded surgeons who evaluated basal performance (time 0) and performance after 1 wk (time 1) and 3 wk (time 2) of training. ResultsThe training time of RaceG was longer than that of ShotG and SurgG (P = 0.045). Compared to SurgG and RaceG, VG scores for ShotG improved less between times 0 and 1 (P = 0.010) but more between times 1 and 2 (P = 0.004). Improvement in mean surgical performance scores versus time differed in each VG group (P = 0.011). At time 2, surgical performance scores were significantly higher in ShotG (P = 0.002) and SurgG (P = 0.022) than in ContG. The surgical performance scores of RaceG were not significantly different from the score achieved by ContG (P = 0.279). ConclusionsDifferent VG genres may differentially impact the development of surgical skills by medical students. More complex games seem to improve performance even if played less. Although further studies are needed, surgery-related VGs with sufficient complexity and playability could be a feasible adjuvant to improving surgical skills.

Short-term effects of prosocial video games on aggression: an event-related potential study.

Previous research has shown that exposure to violent video games increases aggression, whereas exposure to prosocial video games can reduce aggressive behavior. However, little is known about the neural correlates of these behavioral effects. This work is the first to investigate the electrophysiological features of the relationship between playing a prosocial video game and inhibition of aggressive behavior. Forty-nine subjects played either a prosocial or a neutral video game for 20 min, then participated in an event-related potential (ERP) experiment based on an oddball paradigm and designed to test electrophysiological responses to prosocial and violent words. Finally, subjects completed a competitive reaction time task (CRTT) which based on Taylor's Aggression Paradigm and contains reaction time and noise intensity chosen as a measure of aggressive behavior. The results show that the prosocial video game group (compared to the neutral video game group) displayed smaller P300 amplitudes, were more accurate in distinguishing violent words, and were less aggressive as evaluated by the CRTT of noise intensity chosen. A mediation analysis shows that the P300 amplitude evoked by violent words partially mediates the relationship between type of video game and subsequent aggressive behavior. The results support theories based on the General Learning Model. We provide converging behavioral and neural evidence that exposure to prosocial media may reduce aggression.

Social Development of Students Participating in Physical Activity and Computer Games

The purpose of this study was to compare the participation in physical activity and computer games on the social development of students. The population of this research was made up entirely of male students from secondary schools in the city of Marivan (mean age of 13.5 years). Among them, 300 were selected purposively (150 athletes, 150 computer games players). In order to collect the information, Weitzman’s social development scale was used. For the statistical analysis of data, n independent t-test with a significance level (P < 0.05) was used. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that the physical activity group has a higher social development than computer games group.

Association of Video Game Playing and Lifestyle Behaviors in Adults

Video games are a pastime increasing in popularity and in time commitment. Although research has examined the association between video games and body mass index (BMI), only limited research has investigated how gaming affects lifestyle behaviors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between video game playing (online [ONG] and offline [OFG]) and lifestyle behaviors using non‐video game players (NVG) as the control group. One hundred and forty‐seven participants, aged 18‐64 (ONG n=70, age= 23±7 y, BMI=26.1±5.7 kg/m²; OFG n=36, age=26±6 y, BMI=26.0±6.9 kg/m²; NVG n=37, age=36±15 y, BMI=25.8±4.6 kg/m²;), were surveyed using an online questionnaire. The ONG reported more time spent playing video games each week compared to the OFG group (ONG =25±15, OFG 14±10, hours per week; p=0.001). Two validated questionnaires (Eating Behavior Pattern Questionnaire [EBPQ], Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire [SBQ]) assessed lifestyle behaviors. Using the EBPQ, the NVG reported more low‐fat eating behaviors than both video game playing groups (p&lt;0.001). No differences were observed between groups for the other eating behavior measures (i.e., emotional eating, haphazard planning). Using the SBQ, the NVG reported more time per week spent watching TV per week than both video game groups (ONG= 8± 10, OFG=10± 9, NVG= 17± 9, hours per week; p&lt;0.001). All three groups were significantly different in hours per week spent playing exclusively computer games (ONG 27±12, OFG=18± 11, NVG=3± 5, hours per week; p&lt;0.001). In this study, video game playing was associated with an eating behavior that may be linked to chronic disease. Furthermore, the different types of gaming (online, offline) was associated with sedentary behaviors. More research is needed to understand how this growing pastime influences overall health.

Impact of current video game playing on robotic simulation skills among medical students.

To evaluate the impact of current and prior video game playing on initial robotic simulation skill acquisition. This cross-sectional descriptive study (Canadian Task Force Classification II-1) was conducted at a medical university training center. The study subjects were medical students who currently played video games (Group I) and those who had not played video games in the last 2 years (Group II). The robotic skills of both groups were assessed using simulation. Twenty-two students enrolled in this study; however, only 21 completed it. The median age of the participants was 23 (22-24) years and 24 (23-26) years in Groups I and II, respectively. Among the participants, 15 (71.4%) were male and 6 (28.5%) were female, and 90.4% of the students started playing video games in primary school. When the 2 groups were compared according to the completion time of each exercise, Group I finished more quickly than Group II in the Peg Board-1 exercise (p>0.05), whereas Group II had better results in 3 exercises including Pick and Place, Ring and Rail, and Thread the Rings-1. However, none of the differences were found to be statistically significant (p>.05), and according to the overall scores based on the time to complete exercises, economy of motion, instrument collision, use of excessive instrument force, instruments out of view, and master workspace range, the scores were not statistically different between Groups I and II (p>.05). According to the basic robotic simulation exercise results, there was no difference between medical students who used to play video games and those who still played video games. Studies evaluating baseline visuospatial skills with larger sample sizes are needed.