Cardiovascular and pulmonary response in gaming disorder: A systematic review protocol

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.sidebar##

Published Aug 22, 2025
https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v103i8.6147
Download
Vol. 103 No. 8 (2025): Tunis Med Aug 2025

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.main##

hela cherif
a:1:{s:5:"fr_FR";s:36:"Service de pneumologie, hôpital FSI";}
Sabrine Louhaichi
2. Abderrahmane Mami Hospital, Thoracic Surgery Department, Ariana; Tunisia, Tunis El Manar University, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis; Tunisia
Soumaya Debiche
1. Internal Security Forces Hospital, Pulmonology Department; Health and environment in Security Forces research laboratory LR211NT01, Tunis; Tunisia, Tunis El Manar University, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis; Tunisia
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9211-3095
Salma Mokaddem
1. Internal Security Forces Hospital, Pulmonology Department; Health and environment in Security Forces research laboratory LR211NT01, Tunis; Tunisia, Tunis El Manar University, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis; Tunisia

Abstract

Introduction: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is a recognized mental health condition associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation. While heart rate variability (HRV) has been studied, ventilatory responses remain poorly explored. This systematic review aims to evaluate the impact of IGD on cardiovascular (HRV) and pulmonary (respiratory rate) parameters.


Methods: To conduct this systematic review, a literature search will be conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. We will include studies assessing HRV and respiratory rate in individuals aged ≥12 years with IGD. Excluded studies without objective ANS measurements or non-DSM-5-defined populations. Data extraction will focus on HRV (continuous ECG) and respiratory rate variations, stratified by gaming context and IGD severity. The risk of bias will be assessed using ROBINS-I.


Discussion: This review will clarify ANS dysregulation patterns in IGD, informing clinical monitoring strategies. Limitations may include heterogeneity in measurement methods.

Keywords:

cardiovascular response, heart rate variability, , parasympathetic activity, respiratory rate, respiratory response, Video gaming disorder

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.details##

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

References

  1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington (VA): American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013. Internet gaming disorder; p. 913–917.
  2. Clinical descriptions and diagnostic requirements for ICD-11 mental, behavioural and neurodevelopmental disorders. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/375767/9789240077263-eng.pdf
  3. Ding WN, Sun JH, Sun YW, Chen X, Zhou Y, Zhuang ZG, Li L, Zhang Y, Xu JR, Du YS. Trait impulsivity and impaired prefrontal impulse inhibition function in adolescents with internet gaming addiction revealed by a Go/No-Go fMRI study. Behav Brain Funct. 2014 May 30;10:20. doi: 10.1186/1744-9081-10-20. PMID: 24885073; PMCID: PMC4050412.
  4. Hong SJ, Lee D, Park J, Namkoong K, Lee J, Jang DP, Lee JE, Jung YC, Kim IY. Altered Heart Rate Variability During Gameplay in Internet Gaming Disorder: The Impact of Situations During the Game. Front Psychiatry. 2018 Sep 11;9:429.
  5. Ji HM, Hsiao TC. Instantaneous Respiratory Response of Gamer with High-Risk Internet Gaming Disorder during Game-Film Stimuli by Using Complementary Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2020 Jul;2020:980-983. doi: 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9175719. PMID: 33018149.
  6. Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, Boutron I, Hoffmann TC, Mulrow CD, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ. 2021;372:n71
  7. Sterne JAC, Hernán MA, Reeves BC, Savović J, Berkman ND, Viswanathan M, et al. ROBINS-I: a tool for assessing risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions. BMJ. 2016;355:i4919. doi:10.1136/bmj.i4919