Acupuncture modulates the functional connectivity among the subcortical nucleus and fronto-parietal network in adolescents with internet addiction.

Abstract

Internet addiction (IA), recognized as a behavioral addiction, is emerging as a global public health problem. Acupuncture has been demonstrated to be effective in alleviating IA; however, the mechanism is not yet clear. To fill this knowledge gap, our study aimed to investigate the modulatory effects of acupuncture on the functional interactions among the addiction-related networks in adolescents with IA. Thirty individuals with IA and thirty age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects (HCs) were recruited. Subjects with IA were given a 40-day acupuncture treatment, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected before and after acupuncture sessions. HCs received no treatment and underwent one fMRI scan after enrollment. The intergroup differences in functional connectivity (FC) among the subcortical nucleus (SN) and fronto-parietal network (FPN) were compared between HCs and subjects with IA at baseline. Then, the intragroup FC differences between the pre- and post-treatment were analyzed in the IA group. A multiple linear regression model was further employed to fit the FC changes to symptom relief in the IA group. In comparison to HCs, subjects with IA exhibited significantly heightened FC within and between the SN and FPN at baseline. After 40 days of acupuncture treatment, the FC within the FPN and between the SN and FPN were significantly decreased in individuals with IA. Symptom improvement in subjects with IA was well fitted by the decrease in FC between the leftmidbrain and ventral prefrontal cortex and between the left thalamus and ventral anterior prefrontal cortex. These findings confirmed the modulatory effects of acupuncture on the aberrant functional interactions among the SN and FPN, which may partly reflect the neurophysiological mechanism of acupuncture for IA.