Diffusion tensor imaging of the structural integrity of white matter correlates with impulsivity in adolescents with internet gaming disorder.

Xin Du,Shouping Dai,Jiyu Zhu,Yang Zhang,Quan Zhang,Peihong Gao,Linlin Liu,Yongxin Yang,Xin Qi,Guijin Du,Xiaodong Li

doi:10.1002/brb3.753

Abstract

IntroductionInternet gaming disorder (IGD) is usually defined as the inability of an individual to control internet gaming resulting in serious negative consequences, and trait impulsivity has been viewed as a hallmark feature of IGD. Recent studies have suggested that the structural integrity of the white matter (WM) plays an important role in the neuromediation of an individual's impulsivity. However, no study has examined the association between WM integrity and impulsivity in IGD adolescents.MethodsIn this study, 33 adolescents with IGD and 32 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited, and the intergroup differences in the relationships between impulsivity and fractional anisotropy (FA) values across the whole brain WM were investigated using voxel‐wise correlation analyses.ResultsOur results revealed significant intergroup differences in the correlations between impulsivity and the FA values of the right corticospinal tract (CST) and the right occipital WM. Region of interest‐based tests revealed that the FA values of these clusters were positive or insignificantly correlated with impulsivity in the IGD adolescents contrasted to the significantly negative correlation in the HCs.ConclusionsThis altered correlations in the IGD adolescents might reflect potential WM microstructural changes which may be associated with the greater impulsivity of IGD adolescents and provide possible therapeutic targets for interventions in this population.

Highlights

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is usually defined as the inability of an individual to control internet gaming resulting in serious negative consequences, and trait impulsivity has been viewed as a hallmark feature of IGD
These results indicate that the disrupted integrity of multiple white matter (WM) regions plays an important role in mediating greater impulsivity in addictive conditions
We aimed to evaluate the relationship between impulsivity and WM integrity based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis in a cohort of IGD adolescents relative to demographically matched healthy controls (HCs)

Summary

| INTRODUCTION

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is the most prevalent form of internet addiction in Asia (e.g., China and Korea) (Dong, Devito, Du, & Cui, 2012) and is defined as an individual’s inability to control internet gaming resulting in negative consequences, such as psychological, social, school, and/or work difficulties in one’s life (Cao, Su, Liu, & Gao, 2007; Young, 1998). Negative correlations between greater impulsivity and the FA values of the anterior corpus callosum and frontal WM have been found in cocaine abusers (Moeller et al, 2005; Romero, Asensio, Palau, Sanchez, & Romero, 2010) These results indicate that the disrupted integrity of multiple WM regions plays an important role in mediating greater impulsivity in addictive conditions. Functional neuroimaging studies revealed that IGD adolescents exhibit aberrant activations in the fronto-striatal network, the supplemental motor area, the cingulate cortex, the insula, and the parietal lobes during the performance of impulse control-related tasks compared with HCs (Chen et al, 2015; Ding et al, 2014; Dong et al, 2012; Ko et al, 2014; Liu et al, 2014; Luijten et al, 2015). This study may bring new insight into the neurobiological presentation of impulsivity in IGD adolescents

| MATERIALS AND METHODS

Findings

| DISCUSSION