Abstract
Recently, excessive and uncontrolled use of online games has been recognized as a public concern. Although previous neuroimaging studies have reported structural and functional brain deficits in Internet gaming disorder (IGD), very few studies have investigated the regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRglu). This study investigated the differences in rCMRglu between individuals with IGD and healthy controls using 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET). A total of 23 adults with IGD and 23 controls underwent brain 18F-FDG PET scans and completed self-report questionnaires. A whole-brain voxel-wise analysis of rCMRglu was conducted and associations between rCMRglu and severity of IGD were assessed. The IGD group showed higher impulsivity (p = 0.04) and lower self-control (p = 0.002) than the control group. In addition, the IGD group had lower FDG uptake in the left medial orbitofrontal gyrus, left middle cingulate cortex, left superior frontal gyrus, and right anterior cingulate cortex (p < 0.001). A significant negative association was found between the rCMRglu in the right anterior cingulate cortex and the number of fulfilled diagnostic criteria for IGD (β = −0.50, p = 0.02). Our results suggest that IGD may be associated with deficits of glucose metabolism in the prefrontal-cingulate cortices.
Highlights
As online gaming has become one of the most popular leisure activities, excessive and uncontrolled use of online games has been recognized as a public concern since it can interfere with various aspects of daily life including academic performance and mental health [1]
The current study investigated the differences in regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRglu) between Internet gaming disorder (IGD) individuals and controls using a whole-brain voxel-wise comparison of 18F-FDG PET images
This study investigated the brain glucose metabolism and its association with addiction severity in participants with IGD
Summary
As online gaming has become one of the most popular leisure activities, excessive and uncontrolled use of online games has been recognized as a public concern since it can interfere with various aspects of daily life including academic performance and mental health [1]. A meta-analysis indicated that abnormalities in the fronto-cingulate-striatal regions are consistently found in IGD [4]. These findings suggest IGD may share neurobiological characteristics with other behavioral and substance addiction [4]. A previous study reported increased rCMRglu of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), caudate nucleus, and insula and decreased rCMRglu of the postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, and occipital cortex in Internet game overusers [5]. Another 18F-FDG PET study found lower rCMRglu of the prefrontal, temporal, and limbic systems in IGD individuals [6]. We examined the correlations between rCMRglu and addiction severity within the IGD group
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