Reduced frontostriatal functional connectivity and associations with severity of Internet gaming disorder

Abstract

Cognitive, functional, and structural brain factors involving frontal executive and striatal reward networks have been implicated in Internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, frontostriatal network connectivity and its association with addiction severity are poorly understood in IGD. Resting‐state fMRI data from 337 subjects (130 with IGD, 207 with recreational game use [RGU]) were collected. Striatal‐cortical communications were measured with resting‐state functional connectivity (FC) using coherent spontaneous fluctuations in the blood‐oxygenation‐level–dependent fMRI signal. Correlations were calculated between FC measures and IGD‐related assessments (addiction severity and craving scores). Decreased FC was predominantly observed in IGD subjects, with IGD subjects showing decreased FC between the putamen and superior frontal gyrus (SFG), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the ventral striatum and IFG, superior temporal gyrus, and MFG. Disorder severity and craving scores were negatively correlated with FC between striatal and frontal brain regions. Associations between diminished FC in corticostriatal circuitry and clinical features (IGD craving, severity) suggest potential therapeutic targets for neuromodulation treatments. The extent to which frontostriatal circuits involving executive control over reward processes may be altered to treat IGD warrants additional study.

Opposing associations of Internet Use Disorder symptom domains with structural and functional organization of the striatum: a dimensional neuroimaging approach

“…In contrast, higher levels of craving/social problems were associated with enhanced connectivity between the ventral striatum and the occipital, orbitofrontal and insular regions. Negative associations between loss of control and striatum connectivity might reflect dysregulations in inhibitory control and visual salience processing including the superior and middle occipital regions, and the action control system, including the cerebellum and ACC (Dong et al, 2021b; Meng, Deng, Wang, Guo, & Li, 2015). Positive associations between craving/social problems and the ventral striatal system encompassed occipital regions involved in visual salience processing and orbitofrontal regions involved in reward processing which have been associated with cue-reactivity and craving (Hanlon, Dowdle, Naselaris, Canterberry, & Cortese, 2014; Zhou et al, 2019b).…”

Cortical surface variation in individuals with excessive smartphone use

“…The first finding extends our understanding of a cortical neurodevelopmental component of SPA in individuals without any psychiatric disorder according to ICD‐10 or DSM‐5 in manifold ways: First, SFG plays a crucial role in higher cognitive functions (e.g., working memory) (Boisgueheneuc et al., 2006), executive control over reward processes (Dong et al., 2021), introspection (Goldberg et al., 2006), and complex motor tasks (W. Li et al., 2013; Thomann et al., 2015). In particular, introspection is a process of perceiving or being aware of own thoughts and feelings (Batali, 1983) and hence, it is significantly impaired in addiction disorders, leading to lower awareness of the disease, lack of motivation to change behavior and to look for appropriate treatment options (Goldstein & Volkow, 2011).…”

“…Of particular importance for the understanding the function of SFG in SPA is its anatomical connection to the supplementary motor area, a region that is responsible for preparation, initiation, and monitoring of an action (Wolf et al, 2008). These findings are remarkable, given that decreased functional connectivity between SFG and basal ganglia is also involved in IGD (Dong et al, 2021). Further, if an individual wants to stop its excessive smartphone use behavior, it needs to cognitively decide to not use the smartphone.…”

Identifying Internet Addiction and Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment Based on Functional Connectivity Density: A Machine Learning Study

“…Impairments in the IFC and DLPFC are thought to be directly related to uncontrolled drug abuse (Ely et al, 2020;Qian et al, 2020), and the stimulation of these regions was demonstrated to be effective in relieving addictive symptoms (Chen et al, 2020b;Newman-Norlund et al, 2020). In IA, a close association between the dysfunction of IFC and DLPFC and the uncontrolled online playing has also been demonstrated (Dong et al, 2020). Although the AG is not typically associated with executive control function, the crucial role of the AG in inhibition control has been well demonstrated by previous studies (Castelluccio et al, 2014;Nobusako et al, 2017;Lewis et al, 2019).…”