Altered functional network activities for behavioral adjustments and Bayesian learning in young men with Internet gaming disorder

Abstract

Background and aimsDeficits in cognitive control represent a core feature of addiction. Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) offers an ideal model to study the mechanisms underlying cognitive control deficits in addiction, eliminating the confounding effects of substance use. Studies have reported behavioral and neural deficits in reactive control in IGD, but it remains unclear whether individuals with IGD are compromised in proactive control or behavioral adjustment by learning from the changing contexts.MethodsHere, fMRI data of 21 male young adults with IGD and 21 matched healthy controls (HC) were collected during a stop-signal task. We employed group independent component analysis to investigate group differences in temporally coherent, large-scale functional network activities during post-error slowing, the typical type of behavioral adjustments. We also employed a Bayesian belief model to quantify the trial-by-trial learning of the likelihood of stop signal – P(Stop) – a broader process underlying behavioral adjustment, and identified the alterations in functional network responses to P(Stop).ResultsThe results showed diminished engagement of the fronto-parietal network during post-error slowing, and weaker activity in the ventral attention and anterior default mode network in response to P(Stop) in IGD relative to HC.Discussion and conclusionsThese results add to the literatures by suggesting deficits in updating and anticipating conflicts as well as in behavioral adjustment according to contextual information in individuals with IGD.

Depression Mediates the Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Internet Addiction in Female but Not Male Chinese Adolescents and Young Adults

“…Adolescents and young adults appear to be the most susceptible to internet addiction [16,17]. The increasing prevalence of internet addiction has been associated with low emotional stability and poor self-regulation in adolescents [18,19]. Adolescents with internet addiction may manifest depression [20] and engage in internet use to cope with emotional distress as well as to seek pleasure, social connections and a sense of achievement [21].…”

Neural substrates of deficient cognitive control in individuals with severe internet gaming disorder

“…On the other hand, another two fMRI studies using the Stroop task found that the IGD participants had lower activation in the DLPFC, ACC and orbital frontal cortex (OFC) than HCs under the inconsistent condition, while they showed unabated inhibition abilities behaviorally similar to those of HCs ( Dong et al, 2015 ; Luijten et al, 2015 ). Additionally, using a stop-signal task, two studies that recruited IGD patients from medical centers or hospitals reported worse inhibitory control (more errors under the stop condition) ( Choi et al, 2014 ) and impaired frontal-basal ganglia connectivity in internet addiction/IGD patients than in HCs ( Li et al, 2014 ), whereas another two studies with IGD participants from colleges and the general public reported no significant behavioral difference between those with IGD and HCs in the stop-signal task ( Irvine et al, 2013 , Ma et al, 2021 ) .…”

Independent component analysis for internet gaming disorder

“…The DMN, specifically the anterior DMN (aDMN), was also explored through ICA by Ma et al. ( 2021 ) in a sample of 21 male young adults with IGD and 21 control participants. The authors observed that the aDMN showed greater disengagement during stop-signal anticipation.…”

“…Ma et al. ( 2021 ) described less engagement of the left and right fronto-parietal networks during post-error slowing in individuals with IGD. Both the left and right fronto-parietal networks may be involved in different dimensions of cognitive control.…”