Abstract
Converging evidence indicates that addiction involves impairment in reward processing systems. However, the patterns of dysfunction in different stages of reward processing in internet gaming addiction remain unclear. In previous studies, individuals with internet gaming disorder were found to be impulsive and risk taking, but there is no general consensus on the relation between impulsivity and risk-taking tendencies in these individuals. The current study explored behavioral and electrophysiological responses associated with different stages of reward processing among individuals with internet gaming disorders (IGDs) with a delayed discounting task and simple gambling tasks. Compared to the healthy control (HC) group, the IGD group discounted delays more steeply and made more risky choices, irrespective of the outcome. As for the event-related potential (ERP) results, during the reward anticipation stage, IGDs had the same stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) for both large and small choices, whereas HCs exhibited a higher SPN in large vs. small choices. During the outcome evaluation stage, IGDs exhibited a blunted feedback-related negativity for losses vs. gains. The results indicate impairment across different stages of reward processing among IGDs. Moreover, we found negative correlation between impulsivity indexed by BIS-11 and reward sensitivity indexed by SPN amplitude during anticipation stage only, indicating different neural mechanisms at different stages of reward processing. The current study helps to elucidate the behavioral and neural mechanisms of reward processing in internet gaming addiction.
Highlights
Internet gaming disorder is a rapidly increasing concern in today’s world
We focused on three key event-related potential (ERP) components: stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN), feedback-related negativity (FRN), and P300
Simple effect analysis revealed that the FRN amplitude was greater in high-risk outcomes compared to low-risk outcomes only in the healthy control (HC) group (−2.74 μV vs. −0.36 μV, p = 0.000), but not in the Internet gaming disorders (IGDs) group (−1.48 μV vs. −0.97 μV, p = 0.392)
Summary
Internet gaming disorder is a rapidly increasing concern in today’s world. It is a preoccupation and obsession with internet games that interferes with one’s social, personal, or occupational life, with typical symptoms of dependence being tolerance, withdrawal, and failed attempts to quit the habit [1]. As one of the most common behavioral addictions, it is an emerging health concern It has been included as Internet Gaming Disorder in ICD-11 and as a “Condition for Further Study” in DSM-5. Internet gaming disorders (IGDs) often struggle in their day-to-day activities, relationships, and Reward Processing in Internet Gaming jobs because of prolonged game play. They are more likely to have poor sleep quality [2], tend to suffer from emotional problems such as depression and anxiety [2, 3], have poor coping skills [4] and are more prone to developing psychopathology or psychopathological symptoms in the long run [5,6,7]. IGDs often use internet games as an escape from negative moods and feelings, such as hopelessness and guilt [1], allowing them to feel relaxed [6] and in control of the situation [8]
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