Altered Default Network Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Adolescents with Internet Gaming Addiction

Abstract

PurposeExcessive use of the Internet has been linked to a variety of negative psychosocial consequences. This study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate whether functional connectivity is altered in adolescents with Internet gaming addiction (IGA).MethodsSeventeen adolescents with IGA and 24 normal control adolescents underwent a 7.3 minute resting-state fMRI scan. Posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) connectivity was determined in all subjects by investigating synchronized low-frequency fMRI signal fluctuations using a temporal correlation method. To assess the relationship between IGA symptom severity and PCC connectivity, contrast images representing areas correlated with PCC connectivity were correlated with the scores of the 17 subjects with IGA on the Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) and their hours of Internet use per week.ResultsThere were no significant differences in the distributions of the age, gender, and years of education between the two groups. The subjects with IGA showed longer Internet use per week (hours) (p<0.0001) and higher CIAS (p<0.0001) and BIS-11 (p = 0.01) scores than the controls. Compared with the control group, subjects with IGA exhibited increased functional connectivity in the bilateral cerebellum posterior lobe and middle temporal gyrus. The bilateral inferior parietal lobule and right inferior temporal gyrus exhibited decreased connectivity. Connectivity with the PCC was positively correlated with CIAS scores in the right precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, thalamus, caudate, nucleus accumbens, supplementary motor area, and lingual gyrus. It was negatively correlated with the right cerebellum anterior lobe and left superior parietal lobule.ConclusionOur results suggest that adolescents with IGA exhibit different resting-state patterns of brain activity. As these alterations are partially consistent with those in patients with substance addiction, they support the hypothesis that IGA as a behavioral addiction that may share similar neurobiological abnormalities with other addictive disorders.

Altered Functional Connectivity of the Insula and Nucleus Accumbens in Internet Gaming Disorder: A Resting State fMRI Study

“…Enhanced visual motor coordination and impaired visual and auditory function had been suggested in IGD based on the result of ReHo [10] . Further, altered default network resting-state FC to the posterior cingulate has been found in 17 adolescents with IGD [12] . These results demonstrate inconsistent results of FC in IGD.…”

Behavioural addiction—A rising tide?

“…In a relatively small resting state fMRI study, internet addiction was associated with reduced functional connectivity versus controls across distributed neural circuitry, particularly implicating the bilateral dorsal striatum (putamen), and connections between cortical and subcortical regions (Hong et al 2013). Another resting state fMRI study, this time in a larger sample of adolescents with internet gaming addiction versus controls, found increased functional connectivity in the bilateral cerebellum and middle temporal gyrus; and reduced connectivity involving the bilateral inferior parietal lobule and right inferior temporal gyrus (Ding et al 2013).…”

Internet Gaming Disorder

“…Most of the impaired connections involved the subcortical brain region. Ding et al [55] reported that subjects with IGD exhibited increased FC in the bilateral cerebellum, posterior lobe, and middle temporal gyrus but decreased FC in the bilateral inferior parietal lobe and right inferior temporal gyrus. Three studies reported increased FC or ReHo over the cerebellum.…”