Efficacy of Methylphenidate for Internet Gaming Disorder and Internet Addiction in Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Internet Addiction (IA) are related clinical conditions often comorbid with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the efficacy of MPH for IGD/IA symptoms in ADHD patients. METHODS: We enrolled 38 drug-naive patients diagnosed with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and IGD/IA. At baseline, all patients underwent a clinical assessment for IGD/IA symptoms and then received the most appropriate therapy according to their clinical profile. Twenty-one patients received MPH (methylphenidate) treatment, and 17 patients did not. Patients were re-evaluated after three months of treatment. RESULTS: Findings revealed significant reductions in IGD/IA symptoms over time, while no significant effect of MPH on symptom reduction was found. Clinical predictors of symptom reduction were identified, including IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and comorbid anxiety. CONCLUSION: This longitudinal prospective study contributes to the understanding of IGD/IA treatment in ADHD patients and highlights the importance of considering individual clinical characteristics when predicting treatment response. However, MPH may not directly impact IGD/IA symptom reduction.

Treatments of internet gaming disorder: a systematic review of the evidence.

Introduction: The American Psychiatric Association included Internet gaming disorder (IGD) in the 5th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and the World Health Organization included gaming disorder in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. These recent updates suggest significant concern related to the harms of excessive gaming.Areas covered: This systematic review provides an updated summary of the scientific literature on treatments for IGD. Inclusion criteria were that studies: 1) evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention for IGD or excessive gaming; 2) use an experimental design (i.e. multi-armed [randomized or nonrandomized] or pretest-posttest); 3) include at least 10 participants per group; and 4) include an outcome measure of IGD symptoms or gaming duration. The review identified 22 studies evaluating treatments for IGD: 8 evaluating medication, 7 evaluating cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, and 7 evaluating other interventions and psychosocial treatments.Expert opinion: Even with the recent uptick in publication of such clinical trials, methodological flaws prevent strong conclusions about the efficacy of any treatment for IGD. Additional well-designed clinical trials using common metrics for assessing IGD symptoms are needed to advance the field.