Altered default mode, fronto-parietal and salience networks in adolescents with Internet addiction

Abstract

Internet addiction (IA) is a condition characterized by loss of control over Internet use, leading to a variety of negative psychosocial consequences. Recent neuroimaging studies have begun to identify IA-related changes in specific brain regions and connections. However, whether and how the interactions within and between the large-scale brain networks are disrupted in individuals with IA remain largely unexplored. Using group independent component analysis, we extracted five intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) from the resting-state fMRI data of 26 adolescents with IA and 43 controls, including the anterior and posterior default mode network (DMN), left and right fronto-parietal network (FPN), and salience network (SN). We then examined the possible group differences in the functional connectivity within each ICN and between the ICNs. We found that, compared with controls, IA subjects showed: (1) reduced inter-hemispheric functional connectivity of the right FPN, whereas increased intra-hemispheric functional connectivity of the left FPN; (2) reduced functional connectivity in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of the anterior DMN; (3) reduced functional connectivity between the SN and anterior DMN. Our findings suggest that IA is associated with imbalanced interactions among the DMN, FPN and SN, which may serve as system-level neural underpinnings for the uncontrollable Internet-using behaviors.

Random topology organization and decreased visual processing of internet addiction: Evidence from a minimum spanning tree analysis

“…These results indicate that the deceased coherence of brain activity in IA participants may underlie impaired executive function and weakened inhibition control of internet‐using behaviors. In some studies, both a regional increase and a decrease were found (Ding et al, ; Wang et al, ). Several factors may explain the difference in connectivity patterns related to IA.…”

“…Our result of a significant increase in the FC between the left frontal and left parietooccipital lobes in the IA group relative to HCs also supports this higher intrahemispheric connection. This frontoparietal network connection is implicated in a wide range of cognitively demanding tasks (Wang et al, ), the frontal and parietal lobes are both involved in attention networks (Corbetta & Shulman, ), and a larger and more bilateral frontoparietal network is activated in a short‐term memory task (Deprez et al, ).…”

“…Such a correlation between increased FC and IA may be interpreted as a constructive, adaptive effect of prolonged internet use forming a training effect . Another interpretation, by Wang et al (2017), was that it was possible that IA was associated with shared disturbances of lower interhemispheric and higher intrahemispheric functional connection. Our result of a significant increase in the FC between the left frontal and left parietooccipital lobes in the IA group relative to HCs also supports this higher intrahemispheric connection.…”

“…In resting-state function, IA has been associated with significant functional changes in corticostriatal circuits (Hong, Zalesky et al, 2013), regions located in the frontal, occipital, and parietal lobes (Wee et al, 2014), the visual information-processing circuits, and the prefrontal areas (Koo et al, 2008;Wen & Hsieh, 2016). Wang et al (2017) found altered default mode, frontoparietal, and salience networks in adolescents with IA. Collectively, the altered brain regions related to IA are often widely distributed, and the conclusions of brain connectivity have been inconsistent or even contradictory.…”

Default Mode Network Efficiency Is Correlated With Deficits in Inhibition in Adolescents With Inhalant Use Disorder

“…Those disorders include autism (16,17), attention-deficit disorder (18,19), and dementia (20,21). In addition, functional connectivity alterations have also been revealed in regard to some aspects of addictive behavior (22)(23)(24)(25). We know that inhalants affect anatomical connectivity.…”