Daria Kukuła

Background: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Gaming Disorder (GD) have emerged as significant public health concerns, with studies highlighting their association with substance use. Research on IGD/GD faces challenges due to heterogeneous definitions and measurement tools. While the introduction of DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria for these behaviors improved research consistency, substance use patterns in individuals with IGD/GD, when defined strictly by these criteria, remain unexplored. Importantly, a comprehensive review of substance use patterns among individuals with IGD/GD based on DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria has never been conducted. Objective: This scoping review aims to map existing literature on substance use in individuals with IGD/GD, focusing on patterns, underlying mechanisms, and moderating factors influencing this relationship. Methods: The review adhered to the JBI manual for scoping reviews and PRISMA-ScR standards. A literature search was conducted in August 2025, in seven bibliographic databases, supplemented by citation tracking strategies. Inclusion criteria encompassed empirical studies published post-2013, using scales published after 2013, based on DSM-5/ICD-11 criteria for IGD/GD, and focusing on substance use. Results: A total of 36 studies out of 5,561 identified, predominantly cross-sectional, were included. Findings indicated a high co-occurrence of IGD/GD and substance use, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Shared risk factors such as impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and maladaptive coping strategies were identified. Alcohol, tobacco, stimulants, and cannabis emerged as the most commonly used substances, with variations across cultural contexts. Limited longitudinal data underscored the need for research on the progression and interaction of IGD/GD and substance use over time. Conclusion: The findings revealed that individuals with IGD/GD frequently engage in substance use, including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and stimulants such as amphetamines. This review highlights critical mechanisms linking IGD/GD and substance use, emphasizing the role of behavioral reinforcement and emotional dysregulation. Future research should focus on longitudinal designs and protective factors to inform tailored prevention and intervention strategies. Systematic screening for substance use is warranted among individuals with IGD/GD.

Research suggests that cognitive ability is an important predictor of life outcomes, health, and mortality. Cognitive functions develop at different rates depending on age, and human development involves individual and multidirectional changes, which are plastic processes that last throughout life. Memory, a complex and multidimensional cognitive area, comprises various systems that work together to encode, store, and retrieve information. Working memory plays a key role in processing the information required for a current activity. In recent years, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as tDCS have attracted growing attention from researchers. tDCS modulates cortical activity via low-intensity current, inducing neuronal membrane polarization. This study aimed to assess the effect of tDCS on memory function in healthy individuals in early adulthood. The sample consisted of 90 volunteers aged 20–35 years which were divided into three groups: experimental, active control, and passive control. Cognitive functions were assessed using the Digit Span Test from the WAIS-R(PL), Berg’s Card Sorting Test (BCST), and the Tower of London Test (TOL). The results indicated that tDCS contributed to improvements in working memory, particularly in the auditory-verbal memory span, the effectiveness of maintaining an intended plan in memory, and the ability to remember and coordinate different components of the task. No significant changes were observed in the digit span backward measurement. This study has limitations, including the absence of long-term follow-up and lack of physiological measures such as qEEG. Nonetheless, the findings suggest that tDCS may be a promising method for enhancing memory-related cognitive functions in early adulthood.

Growing interest in non-invasive methods, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), to enhance cognitive functioning in healthy individuals has led to numerous studies. tDCS is a commonly used non-invasive brain stimulation method, and previous research has demonstrated its effectiveness in improving cognitive functions. This study aimed to evaluate whether anodal stimulation of the area F3 and cathodal stimulation of the area Fp2 improves visuospatial attention and block span in young adults when compared to a placebo.The study included 60 participants in early adulthood, with no history of neurological or psychiatric diseases, divided into two groups matched for age and sex. •Group A: 30 participants (18 women, 12 men; aged 21-35 years) underwent 10 sessions of neurostimulation (30 min, 2mA). •Group B: 30 participants (18 women, 12 men; aged 21-35 years) underwent 10 sessions of sham neurostimulation (30 min, 0.5mA). In this procedure after 20 seconds the current is turned off, and no further electrical stimulation is delivered. Visuospatial attention and block span were assessed using the Corsi computerized block test, in which the participant repeated a sequence of blocks displayed on a screen. Assessments were conducted at once before and after the neurostimulation cycle.Analysis revealed that in Group A, there was a significant positive correlation between initial scores and post-stimulation scores. There was a moderate correlation for total visuospatial attention scores and a strong correlation for block span scores in the computerized Corsi block test. In Group B, no significant differences were found between the first and second assessments for both total scores and block span scores. Therefore, the effectiveness of the proposed tDCS protocol in improving visuospatial attention and block span was observed in Group A, but not in Group B, which had undergone sham stimulation.Anodal stimulation of the left DLPFC and cathodal stimulation of the right supraorbital region significantly enhance visuospatial attention and block span in healthy young adults, particularly those with lower baseline abilities, compared to a placebo. Individual responses most likely vary due to anatomical and morphological differences affecting electric field distribution. The underlying mechanism remains unclear, and future research should focus on inter-individual differences to improve the efficiency and reproducibility of tDCS.

Introduction: Online dating is a common phenomenon. The manageability and access of the application allows people to quickly reach many potential partners, which can increase risky sexual behaviors. The Problematic Tinder Use Scale (PTUS) was developed and validated in a Polish population by analyzing the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the responses given by Polish-speaking participants. Methods: Two samples of adult Tinder users were recruited online. The first study aimed to perform the reliability coefficient Cronbach’s, interrater analysis, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analysis. The second sample was recruited to investigate the factor structure by combining it with the Safe Sex Behavior Questionnaire (SSBQ). The sociodemographic data, such as hours of use and number of dates, were also investigated. Results: The Polish participants’ responses to the PTUS (sample 1: N = 271, sample 2: N = 162) revealed the one-factor structure of the tool. The reliability of the measurement was α = 0.80. The construct validity was confirmed. The results showed a significant, negative, and weak correlation between the PTUS and SSBQ scores and their subscales: risky sexual behaviors (r = −0.18), condom use (r = −0.22), and avoidance of body fluids (r = −0.17). Moreover, the number of partners met in the real world had a statistically significant, moderate relationship with the PTUS scores. Conclusions: The PTUS measurement is valid and reliable for the Polish population. The findings highlight the need for harm prevention strategies related to potentially addictive Tinder use, as well as the possible risky sexual behaviors associated with dating app use.

Cognitive Functioning, Eyesight and Eye Movement Changes in the Course of Normal Aging and the Alzheimer’s Dementia Process – a Review of Research Polish society is aging. Currently, people over 65 constitute 16.5% of the population. Along with changes in the population structure, the number of patients with dementia disorders increases. Every year, worldwide, there are nearly 4.6 million new patients diagnosed with dementia, including the Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The purpose of this article is to review research studies that analyze visual-spatial deficits, eyesight and eye movement changes in normally aging people and in patients with AD. With age, various cognitive deficits appear, including visualspatial deficits of perception of complex stimuli, copying figures and visual construction, coordination and visual-spatial processing. So far, a number of studies have been conducted which show that people with AD have a thinner retinal nerve fiber layer. Macular volume and thickness reduction is also observed, which correlates with the severity of cognitive impairment. Research also points to the association of AD with eye movement disorders. Patients in this group make a greater number of errors in anti-saccade tasks as compared to healthy people. Typical for AD are delayed saccades and slow vertical saccade movement, lower accuracy and longer latency time, as well as lower saccadic inhibition as compared to normally ageing people. Identification of eye movement disorders can not only provide information on the severity of the disease but also make it possible to track its progression, and thus, probably, evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. Further studies will verify the diagnostic value of the retinal changes as an AD marker and the eye movement disorders in determining the severity of the disease, monitoring its course and assessing the effectiveness of the treatment.

Introductin: Orthorexia is an obsessive compliance with the principles of healthy eating. It leads to considerable nutritional limitations due to the use of restrictive principles of nutrition, and requires skills of subordination and self-discipline. These skills are manifested by persons with...

Introduction: Cerebral stroke and its consequences are important medical, social and economic problems. Each change in the brain area entails serious consequences related with the functioning of an individual in many domains important for life. For a long time, attention was paid only to the...