Differences in impulsivity between adolescents with ADHD and those with comorbidity of ADHD and IGD.
Teens with ADHD plus internet-gaming disorder show noticeably higher impulsivity on three quick lab tasks than teens with ADHD alone.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers compared three groups of Chinese teens: ADHD only, ADHD plus internet-gaming disorder (IGD), and typical peers. Each teen completed three lab tasks that measure impulsivity.
The tasks were Stop-signal (cancel a button press when a tone sounds), Delay-discount (pick between 50 dollars today or 100 dollars next week), and Balloon-Analogue Risk (pump a virtual balloon for money until it pops).
What they found
Kids with both ADHD and gaming disorder scored worse on every task. They needed more time to stop their action, picked the smaller-sooner reward more often, and popped more balloons.
The ADHD-only group sat in the middle. They were more impulsive than typical teens, but less impulsive than the ADHD+IGD group.
How this fits with other research
Nevin et al. (2005) first showed that kids with ADHD alone choose immediate rewards more than typical peers. Wenhao et al. extend that finding: adding gaming disorder pushes impulsivity even higher.
Vos et al. (2013) used the same Stop-signal task and found slower stopping only in ADHD. The new data agree, but reveal an extra slowdown when gaming disorder is present.
Cullinan et al. (2001) taught ADHD children to wait 24 hours for bigger prizes. Their success hints that the higher impulsivity seen by Wenhao can be trained down, even in the more severe ADHD+IGD group.
Why it matters
If your client has both ADHD and heavy gaming use, expect sharper impulsivity on lab tasks and in daily life. Start with Stop-signal practice and delay-of-gratification drills; the 2001 study shows these skills can be shaped. Document baseline scores on the three tasks to track progress over treatment.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have demonstrated that patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have high impulsivity. However, few studies have been published on the differences in impulsivity between patients presenting with comorbidity of ADHD and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and ADHD alone. AIM: The present study designed an experiment to address this significant question, to explore the differences in impulsivity between individuals with ADHD and those with comorbid ADHD and IGD, specifically focusing on various dimensions of impulsivity. METHODS: A total of 81 adolescents with ADHD alone and 59 patients with comorbidity of ADHD and IGD were included in this study, and all of them were assessed using the Stop-signal Task (SST), Delay Discount Task (DDT), and Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). RESULTS: Patients with comorbid ADHD and IGD had higher impulsivity than those with only ADHD, and it was expressed in different dimensions. Additionally, response inhibition, delayed discount rate, risky decision-making behavior, inattention, and hyperactivity were identified as risk factors for comorbid ADHD and IGD. CONCLUSION: These findings can help distinguish whether ADHD is comorbid with IGD in clinical settings. They will also be helpful in the implementation of more precise treatments.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104883