Gaming May Result in Life-Threatening Cardiac Arrhythmias in Vulnerable Children, Says Study

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Computer gaming might create life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias in vulnerable youngsters whose tendency may have previously gone unreported, according to a new study.

The researchers observed an uncommon yet distinct pattern in children who lose consciousness while playing video games.

The findings of the study were published in the journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society, and the Pediatric & Congenital Electrophysiology Society.

"Video games may represent a serious risk to some children with arrhythmic conditions; they might be lethal in patients with predisposing, but often previously unrecognized arrhythmic conditions," explained lead investigator Claire M. Lawley, MBBS, PhD, The Heart Centre for Children, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney, Australia. "Children who suddenly lose consciousness while electronic gaming should be assessed by a heart specialist as this could be the first sign of a serious heart problem."

The investigators performed a systematic review of literature and initiated a multisite international outreach effort to identify cases of children with sudden loss of consciousness while playing video games. Across the 22 cases they found, multiplayer war gaming was the most frequent trigger. Some children died following a cardiac arrest. Subsequent diagnoses of several heart rhythm conditions put the children at continuing risk. Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) and congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) types 1 and 2 were the most common underlying causes.

There was a high incidence of potentially relevant genetic variants (63 percent) among the patients, which has significant implications for their families. In some cases, the