Reduced loss aversion in value-based decision-making and edge-centric functional connectivity in patients with internet gaming disorder

Abstract

Background and aimsImpaired value-based decision-making is a feature of substance and behavioral addictions. Loss aversion is a core of value-based decision-making and its alteration plays an important role in addiction. However, few studies explored it in internet gaming disorder patients (IGD).MethodsIn this study, IGD patients (PIGD) and healthy controls (Con-PIGD) performed the Iowa gambling task (IGT), under functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We investigated group differences in loss aversion, brain functional networks of node-centric functional connectivity (nFC) and the overlapping community features of edge-centric functional connectivity (eFC) in IGT.ResultsPIGD performed worse with lower average net score in IGT. The computational model results showed that PIGD significantly reduced loss aversion. There was no group difference in nFC. However, there were significant group differences in the overlapping community features of eFC1. Furthermore, in Con-PIGD, loss aversion was positively correlated with the edge community profile similarity of the edge2 between left IFG and right hippocampus at right caudate. This relationship was suppressed by response consistency3 in PIGD. In addition, reduced loss aversion was negatively correlated with the promoted bottom-to-up neuromodulation from the right hippocampus to the left IFG in PIGD.Discussion and conclusionsThe reduced loss aversion in value-based decision making and their related edge-centric functional connectivity support that the IGD showed the same value-based decision-making deficit as the substance use and other behavioral addictive disorders. These findings may have important significance for understanding the definition and mechanism of IGD in the future.

Concurrent behavioral modelling and multimodal neuroimaging reveals how feedback affects the performance of decision making in internet gaming disorder

“…Delay discounting tasks have shown that individuals with IGD are more likely to prioritize immediate rewards (Weinsztok, Brassard, Balodis, Martin, & Amlung, 2021). Additionally, imbalanced cost-benefit weighting, where the expected effect of risky behaviors outweighs the potential negative consequences, contributes to a higher propensity for harmful risk-taking behaviors in individuals with IGD (Hong, Liang, Pan, Jin, Luo, Li et al, 2023). While individuals with IGD and HCs may demonstrate similar risk propensities when risky behaviors are favorable, individuals with IGD exhibit significantly higher risk propensities when faced with unfavorable outcomes (Y.…”

Sex differences of neural connectivity in internet gaming disorder and its association with sleep quality: an exploratory fMRI study

“…Moreover, a longitudinal study of ReHo markers during natural recovery from IGD highlighted the critical involvement of specific brain regions including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and superior frontal gyrus (SFG), which are linked to reward and inhibitory control processes ( 16 ). Current research on FC has thoroughly explored the impact of IGD on dopamine reward system processing ( 17 , 18 ), decision-making cognition ( 19 ), self-control ( 20 ), and attentional bias ( 21 ). Brain regions implicated in the pathophysiology of IGD often reflect deficits in self-monitoring, attention, interoception, motor control, and auditory processing, with its development and maintenance involving complex networks such as the default mode network (DMN), executive control network, and salience network ( 22 , 23 ).…”