Internet Gaming Disorder Severity Research Articles

Impaired social reward processing in individuals with Internet gaming disorder and its relationship with early face perception

Previous research has found that individuals with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) show different patterns of social function impairments in game-related and real-life social contexts. Impaired social reward processing may be the underlying mechanism according to the Social Motivation Theory. Thus, in this study, event-related potentials were recorded from 24 individuals with IGD and 24 healthy gamers during a social judgement task. We focused on reward positivity (RewP) elicited by game-related and real-life social rewards, and N170 elicited by game avatar faces and real faces. These indicators were used to explore the neurocognitive mechanism of impaired social reward processing in individuals with IGD and its relationship with early face perception. Results showed that (1) the RewP elicited by real-life social reward was considerably reduced in individuals with IGD relative to healthy gamers. (2) The N170 elicited by game avatar faces in individuals with IGD was larger than that elicited by real faces. However, the N170 was not associated with RewP in either group. (3) The score for IGD severity was correlated with the RewP elicited by real-life social reward and the N170 elicited by game avatar face. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the impaired social reward processing in individuals with IGD is mainly manifested in a decreased neural sensitivity to real-life social reward. Meanwhile, the reduced RewP elicited by real-life social reward and the enhanced N170 elicited by game avatar face might serve as potential biomarkers for IGD.

Impulsivity and aggression as risk factors for internet gaming disorder among university students

Internet gaming addiction is a global problem, especially among young individuals. Exhibiting characteristics similar to other addictions, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is linked to adverse mental health outcomes. Identified as risk factors for dependence behaviors, the association of impulsivity and aggression with IGD is relatively under-researched in the student population. The present sample of 350 university students (Mage = 21.30 years, SDage = 4.96 years) from Najran university in Saudi Arabia completed an online questionnaire that included the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF), the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire-Short Form, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-15). Results indicated that impulsivity and aggression were positively associated with IGD severity and both personality traits explained 34.6% of the variance in IGD scores. Further bivariate analyses suggested that individuals spending 7 or more hours on internet gaming were more likely to exhibit high impulsivity and aggression, and had a relatively higher severity of IGD. These results suggest that individuals with these personality traits may be more vulnerable to developing an addiction to internet gaming. These findings need to be confirmed in future more robust studies; however, this exploratory study provides insights for potential programs to prevent IGD among young individuals.

Role of Bupropion in the Management of Internet Gaming Disorder: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aims to summarize the role of bupropion in the management of internet gaming disorder (IGD) patients. Five electronic databases were searched without date restrictions until September 10, 2021. Four studies with a moderate risk of bias were included. Compared to escitalopram, bupropion showed better improvement in reducing addictive use of online gaming and IGD severity (low certainty). Compared with placebo or no treatment, bupropion was better in reducing addictive use of online gaming, IGD severity, and the total time of online game playing (low to moderate certainty). The combination of bupropion with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) was superior to bupropion alone in reducing the addictive use of online gaming and the total time of online game playing (low certainty). Bupropion may be effective in improving IGD symptoms. However, there is an evident need for more extensive randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with better methodology and longer follow-up before more conclusions can be drawn.

Severity identification for internet gaming disorder using heart rate variability reactivity for gaming cues: a deep learning approach.

The diminished executive control along with cue-reactivity has been suggested to play an important role in addiction. Hear rate variability (HRV), which is related to the autonomic nervous system, is a useful biomarker that can reflect cognitive-emotional responses to stimuli. In this study, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) subjects' autonomic response to gaming-related cues was evaluated by measuring HRV changes in exposure to gaming situation. We investigated whether this HRV reactivity can significantly classify the categorical classification according to the severity of IGD. The present study included 70 subjects and classified them into 4 classes (normal, mild, moderate and severe) according to their IGD severity. We measured HRV for 5 min after the start of their preferred Internet game to reflect the autonomic response upon exposure to gaming. The neural parameters of deep learning model were trained using time-frequency parameters of HRV. Using the Class Activation Mapping (CAM) algorithm, we analyzed whether the deep learning model could predict the severity classification of IGD and which areas of the time-frequency series were mainly involved. The trained deep learning model showed an accuracy of 95.10% and F-1 scores of 0.995 (normal), 0.994 (mild), 0.995 (moderate), and 0.999 (severe) for the four classes of IGD severity classification. As a result of checking the input of the deep learning model using the CAM algorithm, the high frequency (HF)-HRV was related to the severity classification of IGD. In the case of severe IGD, low frequency (LF)-HRV as well as HF-HRV were identified as regions of interest in the deep learning model. In a deep learning model using the time-frequency HRV data, a significant predictor of IGD severity classification was parasympathetic tone reactivity when exposed to gaming situations. The reactivity of the sympathetic tone for the gaming situation could predict only the severe group of IGD. This study suggests that the autonomic response to the game-related cues can reflect the addiction status to the game.

Mediating effects of attention problems on the link between parenting style and internet gaming disorder in adolescents.

Positive and negative parenting styles as well as psychiatric comorbidities including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been associated with internet gaming disorder (IGD) in children and adolescents. We hypothesized that ADHD and parenting style would be associated with IGD in adolescents. In addition, psychological status could mediate the link between parenting style and the severity of IGD. A total of 256 adolescents with IGD and 211 healthy internet game players and their mothers participated in the current study. Demographic data, gaming patterns, and psychological status including ADHD were recorded for all adolescents. The parenting style of each adolescent's mother was assessed using the Maternal Behavior Research Instrument (Korean version). There were significant differences in the internet game play patterns, psychological status, and parenting styles between the IGD group and healthy internet game players. In the hierarchical logistic regression analysis, higher ADHD scores, less affective parenting styles, and less autonomous parenting styles, were significant predictors of IGD. In the mediation test, the ADHD score was found to mediate the association between affective and autonomous parenting styles and the severity of IGD. Attention problems could directly and indirectly mediate the relationship between positive parenting styles and the severity of IGD. Our findings have the potential to aid in the development of treatment plans for IGD and ADHD as well as to contribute to the development of educational resources regarding parenting styles.

Brain responses to decision-making in easy and hard choices in internet gaming disorder: Implications for irrepressible gaming behaviours

BackgroundImpaired decision-making was observed in internet gaming disorder (IGD), however, these studies did not differentiate ‘hard’ to ‘easy’ decisions, and only the ‘hard’ decision-making could reveal the mechanism underlying this issue. MethodsWe recruited forty-eight individuals with IGD and forty-six recreational internet game users (RGUs) as a control group in this study. fMRI data were collected when they were finishing a value-matching delayed discount task (DDT), which included easy and hard decisions judging based on the indifference points of every participant. The correlations between brain responses during DDT and IGD severity and the effective connectivity between brain regions were calculated. ResultsCompared to RGUs, IGD subjects showed enhanced activation in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) when facing hard choices, and this feature was associated with IGD severity. In addition, individuals with IGD showed increased effective connectivity from the OFC to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the OFC to the occipital lobe and decreased effective connectivity from the occipital lobe to the OFC. ConclusionThe current study showed that the abnormal activation in the OFC was associated with IGD severity and higher OFC-DLPFC/OFC-occipital lobe effective connectivity and lower occipital lobe-OFC effective connectivity when individuals with IGD faced different choices in the DDT. These findings suggest the neural mechanisms of impulsive decision-making in individuals with IGD due to dysfunction with subjective evaluation and dysfunction of the connection with the executive control system.

Psychometric validity and the appropriateness of tolerance as a criterion for internet gaming disorder: A systematic review

Tolerance is a controversial but still an omnipresent criterion in measuring problematic gaming and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Despite criticisms, a systematic review of its suitability has not been conducted until now. The aim of this study was to assess the evidence of psychometric validity and the appropriateness of tolerance as a criterion for IGD. A total of 61 articles were included in the review, 47 quantitative, 7 qualitative studies,plus 7 studies that introduce potential item wordings for operationalizing tolerance. Results showed that the tolerance item tends to have acceptable to high factor loadings on the single IGD factor. While tolerance sometimes did not adequately differentiate the engaged gamers from those with a probable disorder, it was endorsed at medium to high levels of IGD severity and had a good performance in the interviews. It, however, showed weak relations with distress and well-being. In qualitative studies, tolerance as currently defined by DSM-5 and measured by questionnaires (i.e., increasing amounts of time spent on gaming) was almost unequivocally rejected by gamers. The solid performance of tolerance in psychometric studies was probably due to deficiencies of the IGD construct, which also contains other disputed criteria. Tolerance lacks relevance in measuring IGD and care should be taken when using and interpreting IGD measures with this criterion.

The role of executive function deficits, delay aversion and emotion dysregulation in internet gaming disorder and social media disorder: Links to psychosocial outcomes.

It has been argued that it is important to consider underlying mechanisms of mental health problems. Previous studies have shown that executive deficits, delay aversion, and emotion dysregulation are related to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Social Media Disorder (SMD). However, the present study is the first to investigate whether these neuropsychological deficits show additive effects or if they interact. The present study also investigated whether these deficits mediate the association between IGD/SMD and psychosocial outcomes. The study involved 995 university students who completed a survey measuring IGD/SMD symptom severity, neuropsychological functions, and psychosocial outcomes. Both dimensional and categorical analyses were used to assess the associations between neuropsychological functions and IGD/SMD. Simple and multiple mediation analyses were conducted to examine if neuropsychological functioning mediates the association between IGD/SMD and psychosocial outcomes. All neuropsychological functions were significantly associated with both IGD and SMD symptom severity. However, only inhibition and emotion regulation, as well as delay aversion for SMD, remained significant when controlling for the overlap between different functions. Associations were significantly stronger for men compared to women for IGD. In the categorical analyses, individuals with IGD/SMD were more likely to have neuropsychological deficits (odds ratios between 3.33 and 8.81). Finally, all neuropsychological functions, except inhibition, were significant mediators in the link between IGD/SMD and psychosocial outcomes. These results shed light on the neuropsychological underpinnings of IGD/SMD, which can be used to identify more homogenous subgroups and provide more individualized treatment options.

Gender difference in network relationship between inter-temporal decisions and prefrontal activation levels in internet gaming disorder.

Impulsivity and decision-making are key factors in addiction. However, little is known about how gender and time sensitivity affect impulsivity in internet gaming disorder (IGD). To investigate the gender difference of impulsive decision-making and relevant brain responses in IGD. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study with 123 participants, including 59 IGD individuals (26 females) and 64 matched recreational game users (RGUs, 23 females). Participants performed a delay-discounting task during fMRI scanning. We examined gender-by-group effects on behavioral and neural measures to explore the preference for immediate over delayed rewards and the associated brain activity. We also investigated the network correlations between addiction severity and behavioral and neural measures, and analyzed the mediating role of brain activity in the link between delay discounting parameters and IGD severity. We found significant gender-by-group interactions. The imaging results revealed gender-by-group interactions in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, medial frontal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Post hoc analysis indicated that, for females, RGUs showed higher activity than IGD individuals in these brain regions, while for males IGD individuals exhibited higher activity than RGUs. The activation in the left IFG mediated the relation between Internet Addiction Test score and discount rate in females. In males, the activation in the right dlPFC mediated the relation between IAT score and time sensitivity. Our findings imply that male IGD participants demonstrate impaired intertemporal decisions associated with neural dysfunction. Influencing factors for impulsive decision-making in IGD diverge between males (time sensitivity) and females (discount rate). These findings augment our comprehension of the neural underpinnings of gender differences in IGD and bear significant implications for devising effective intervention strategies for treating people with IGD.

Treatment outcomes of acceptance and commitment therapy on severity of internet gaming disorder comorbid with ADHD in adolescents

Treatment outcomes of acceptance and commitment therapy on severity of internet gaming disorder comorbid with ADHD in adolescents

Deficient dynamics of prefrontal-striatal and striatal-default mode network (DMN) neural circuits in internet gaming disorder

BackgroundStudies have proven that individuals with internet gaming disorder (IGD) show impaired cognitive control over game craving; however, the neural mechanism underlying this process remains unclear. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the dynamic features of brain functional networks of individuals with IGD during rest, which have barely been understood until now. MethodsResting-state fMRI data were collected from 333 subjects (123 subjects with IGD (males/females: 73/50) and 210 healthy controls (males/females: 135/75)). First, the data-driven methodology, named co-activation pattern analysis, was applied to investigate the dynamic features of nucleus accumbens (the core region involved in craving/reward processing and addiction)-centered brain networks in IGD. Further, machine learning analysis was conducted to investigate the prediction effect of the dynamic features on participants' addiction severity. ResultsCompared to controls, subjects in the IGD group showed decreased resilience, betweenness centrality and occurrence in the prefrontal-striatal neural circuit, and decreased in-degree in the striatal-default mode network (DMN) circuit. Moreover, these decreased dynamic features could significantly predict participants' addiction severity. LimitationsThe causal relationship between IGD and the abnormal dynamic features cannot be identified in this study. All the subjects were university students. ConclusionsThe present results revealed the underlying brain networks of uncontrollable craving and game-seeking behaviors in individuals with IGD during rest. The decreased dynamics of the prefrontal-striatal and striatal-DMN neural circuits might be potential biomarkers for predicting the addiction severity of IGD and potential targets for effective interventions to reduce game craving of this disorder.

Do Gamers Play for Money? A Moderated Mediation of Gaming Motives, Relative Deprivation, and Upward Mobility.

Past research indicates strong monetary motives for gambling often elevate an individual's risk of experiencing symptoms of gambling disorder, with personal relative deprivation (PRD) and upward mobility (UM) identified as key factors in this relationship. Nevertheless, few studies have examined how financial motives, PRD, and UM might interact for people playing modern video games-many of which offer financial incentives to encourage participation. Due to the overlap between gambling and (video) gaming, evidence suggests disordered gambling and disordered gaming might also share similarities. Therefore, the present study explored whether PRD influences associations between playing video games for financial motives, symptoms of Internet gaming disorder (IGD), and UM in two samples: 797 college students (Study 1) and 179 adult gamers over 25 years old (Study 2). Results from Study 1 revealed more PRD predicted more IGD symptoms, with higher financial gaming motives mediating the relationship. In Study 2, PRD also predicted IGD severity, but only coping motives appeared to mediate the positive association between PRD and IGD severity. In both samples, perceived UM inversely moderated the effect of PRD on one's financial or coping gaming motives. These findings suggest financial motives for video games might lead to more problematic forms of participation for younger adults and negative perceptions of PRD and UM might interact, similar to gambling, to elevate a gamer's vulnerability for IGD.

Predicting the severity of internet gaming disorder with resting-state brain features: A multi-voxel pattern analysis

BackgroundInternet gaming disorder (IGD) has become a worldwide mental health concern; however, the neural mechanism underlying this disorder remains unclear. Multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA), a newly developed data-driven approach, can be used to investigate the neural features of IGD based on massive neural data. MethodsResting-state fMRI data from four hundred and two participants with varying levels of IGD severity were recruited. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) were calculated and subsequently decoded by applying MVPA. The highly weighted regions in both predictive models were selected as regions of interest for further graph theory and Granger causality analysis (GCA) to explore how they affect IGD severity. ResultsThe results revealed that the neural patterns of ReHo and ALFF can independently and significantly predict IGD severity. The highly weighted regions that contributed to both predictive models were the right precentral gyrus and left postcentral gyrus. Moreover, topological properties of the right precentral gyrus were significantly correlated with IGD severity; further GCA revealed effective connectivity from the right precentral gyrus to left precentral gyrus and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, both of which were significantly associated with IGD severity. ConclusionsThe present study demonstrated that IGD has distinctive neural patterns, and this pattern could be found by machine learning. In addition, the neural features in the right precentral gyrus play a key role in predicting IGD severity. The current study revealed the neural features of IGD and provided a potential target for IGD interventions using brain modulation.

Alexithymia and internet gaming disorder in the light of depression: A cross-sectional clinical study

BackgroundSocial and emotional deficits are assumed to be involved in the development and maintenance of internet gaming disorder (IGD). Alexithymia refers to a personality construct, which is characterized by deficits in emotional awareness and processing. The constructs of alexithymia and depression share similarities, and depression is a common comorbidity of IGD patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between alexithymia and IGD when controlling for depression symptom severity. Moreover, we compared alexithymia traits of IGD patients with those of non-pathological video gamers. MethodsIn a cross-sectional study n = 38 male IGD patients (EG) were recruited at specialized healthcare services in Germany. In addition, n = 39 male non-pathological video gamers (CG) were recruited via social media and bulletin board announcement. Both groups completed questionnaires measuring alexithymia (TAS-20), depression symptom severity (BDI) and IGD severity (s-IAT). ResultsAlexithymia and depression symptom severity both predicted IGD severity. Yet, when including both factors in multiple regression analysis, only alexithymia predicted IGD severity. The prevalence of alexithymia in the EG was 34.2 % (n = 13). None of the non-pathological video gamers scored above the cut-off indicating alexithymia. IGD patients showed higher traits of alexithymia in general and on each subscale, irrespective of whether or not they were currently consuming video games. As previously observed, depression symptom severity was significantly greater in IGD patients compared to healthy video gamers. Yet, group differences in alexithymia traits remained stable, with a ~29 % decrease of effectiveness in the relationship, when controlling for depression symptom severity and sociodemographic factors. ConclusionThe results reveal that alexithymia is associated with and predicts IGD severity independently of depression symptom severity. Moreover, alexithymia is highly prevalent in IGD patients.

Differential resting-state neurophysiological activity associated with game usage patterns and genres in Internet gaming disorder.

We investigated differences in quantitative electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns associated with game usage patterns and genre among patients with Internet gaming disorder (IGD). Data from 140 participants (76 IGD patients and 64 healthy controls) were analysed. The IGD group was divided into subgroups based on game usage patterns (single game [SG] or multiple games [MGs]) and genre (multiplayer online battle arena, first-person shooter [FPS], or massively multiplayer online role-playing game [MMORPG; hereafter, MMG]). A resting-state, eye-closed quantitative EEG was recorded, and the absolute power and coherence of brain waves were analysed. IGD patients who played SGs showed increased beta activity compared with those who played MGs and controls. Increased absolute beta power was significantly associated with higher tendencies towards behavioural inhibition compared with controls. FPS gamers showed increased delta power in the frontal region compared with controls, which was related to the severity of IGD. Furthermore, decreased intrahemispheric coherence in the left frontoparietal region was observed in the MMG and FPS groups compared with controls. This decreased coherence was observed in the theta (MMG and FPS), delta (MMG), and beta (FPS) bands. These features were related to impairment in visuospatial working memory. Unique neurophysiological features related to preoccupation with an SG may be associated with the inhibition of behavioural changes. The present study suggests that the underlying neurophysiological networks in IGD differ according to game usage patterns and genre.

Exploring subtypes and correlates of internet gaming disorder severity among adolescents during COVID-19 in China: A latent class analysis.

The WHO recently included Gaming Disorder as a psychiatric diagnosis. Whether there are distinct groups of adolescents who differ based on severity of gaming disorder and their relationships with other mental health and addictive behavior outcomes, including problematic smartphone use (PSU), remains unclear. The current study explored and identified subtypes of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) severity and estimated the association between these subtypes and other disorders. Participants completed online questionnaires assessing the severity of IGD, PSU, depression, and anxiety during COVID-19. We conducted a latent class analysis of IGD symptoms among 1,305 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 15.2; male = 58.5%) from 11 secondary schools in Macao (SAR), China. Multinomial logistic regression estimated correlates of latent class membership and PSU. A 4-class model adequately described the sample subgroups. Classes were labeled as normative gamers (30.9%), occasional gamers (42.4%), problematic gamers (22.7%), and addictive gamers (4.1%). Relative to normative gamers, PSU severity, depression, and being male were significantly higher among problematic gamers, addictive gamers, and occasional gamers. Only problematic gamers showed significant positive associations with anxiety severity compared to the other groups. The study revealed the differences in severity of gaming disorder and its association with psychopathology outcomes. Application in screening for IGD and comorbidity is discussed.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03133-8.

Online Attentional Bias Modification Training for Adolescents With Internet Gaming Disorder

Objective: Previous research has shown that attentional bias toward game-related stimuli is a significant factor in the etiology, maintenance, and severity of internet gaming disorder (IGD). Therefore, interventions targeting attentional bias toward game-related stimuli can potentially ameliorate this disorder. The present research aims to examine the effectiveness of online Attentional Bias Modification (ABM) training in reducing game-related attentional bias and the severity of IGD in adolescents. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 33 adolescents with a DSM-5 diagnosis of IGD were sampled and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=17) and a control group (n=16). The experimental group received online ABM, while no intervention was delivered to the control group. Attentional bias and IGD severity in these two groups were measured at pretest and posttest phases and then at 2 months follow-up via a modified Stroop test and internet gaming disorder-20 (IGD-20) questionnaire. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (LSD) were implemented to analyze the data using SPSS software, version 26. Results: Game-related attentional bias and the severity of IGD were significantly decreased in the participants of the experimental group (P<0.05). The reductions were also maintained at the 2-month follow-up, whereas such reductions were not evident in the control group at any stage (P>0.05). Conclusion: Given our findings, it can be concluded that online ABM can be an auxiliary or standalone treatment for adolescents with IGD; further research is necessary to understand its mechanisms of effect.

Internet gaming disorder and its correlates among university students, Saudi Arabia.

Over-indulgence in online/offline video games could result in the development of internet gaming disorder (IGD). Knowledge of the prevalence and correlates of IGD may help to understand its etiology. The aim of the present study was to estimate IGD and its psychological/game-related correlates in Saudi university students. For this cross-sectional study, 843 students registered in a university in Saudi Arabia filled an online survey comprising diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), hospital anxiety and depression scale, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, social phobia inventory scale, satisfaction with life scale, and subjective happiness (SH) scale. For data analysis, an independent sample t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient/Chi-square test, and multiple linear regression followed by hierarchical regressions were used. The frequency of IGD was 21.5%. Total game time/day, years of playing games, and social phobia were significantly higher in subjects with IGD (P = 0.001, <0.001, and <0.001, respectively), whereas SH was significantly lower (P < 0.001). Tendency to IGD had a significant positive correlation with social phobia, total game time/day, and years of playing games and a negative correlation with SH. Total game time/day, years of playing games, and social phobia were significant positive predictors of tendency to IGD, whereas SH was a negative predictor. The rest of all variables were insignificant predictors. The frequency of IGD in Saudi university students identified by DSM-5 criteria was relatively high (21.5%). The prediction of the severity of IGD could be based on social phobia, total game time/day, number of years of playing games, and SH.

Prevalence and Correlates of Internet Gaming Disorder: A Comparison Between English-Speaking and Chinese-Speaking Adult Gamers

Objectives: Studies have suggested that the prevalence of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is higher among Asian populations. This study compared the prevalence and severity of IGD between English-speaking gamers and Chinese-speaking gamers. Correlates of IGD were investigated in the global sample. Methods: A total of 101 English-speaking gamers and 130 Chinese-speaking gamers were recruited via a social marketing campaign and participated in an online questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of IGD was 0.0% and 0.8%, respectively, among English-speaking gamers and Chinese-speaking gamers. Chinese-speaking gamers were more likely to deceive family members, therapists, or others because of the amount of gaming activity, and were more likely to have jeopardized or lost an important relationship, job, or an educational or career opportunity because of gaming activity. English-speaking gamers were more likely to own a dedicated gaming device, started video gameplay at a younger age, spent more hours weekly on gameplay, and were more likely to play games to escape or relieve a negative mood. Among the global sample, correlates of a higher level of IGD were: being males, being current students, spending more hours weekly on gameplay, having experienced anxiety in the past year, having a higher level of violence, and having less real-life social support. Conclusions: These results suggested that the prevalence of IGD is low and comparable between English-speaking and Chinese-speaking gamers. The two populations differed in certain diagnosis criteria of IGD and behavioral factors relating to gameplay. Psychosocial factors of IGD were observed among the global sample adjusting for the cultural background.

How sleep disturbances affect internet gaming disorder: The mediating effect of hippocampal functional connectivity

BackgroundStudies have revealed that sleep disturbances lead to an increased risk of Internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, the neural underpinnings of this feature remain unknown. Exploring this issue would be valuable in understanding the relationship between sleep and psychiatric disorders. MethodsGiven the impact of sleep on reward circuitry, we examined nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and hippocampal resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) differences between 41 IGD subjects and 59 healthy controls. Significant connections were determined and used to examine correlations with clinical variables. Finally, we explored the relationship between neuroimaging findings, IGD severity and sleep disturbances through a mediation model. ResultsWe observed the connection deviation between the hippocampus and a wide range of cerebral cortexes in IGD subjects, including the prefrontal, parietal and temporal lobes. More importantly, the right posterior hippocampus (pHIP)-left caudate rsFC was positively correlated with both the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Internet Addiction Test scores and mediated the relationship between the two. For the NAcc, a difference between groups was only observed in the rsFC between the shell partition of the NAcc and the inferior orbitofrontal cortex, but this connectivity was not related to the PSQI score. ConclusionsIGD subjects showed a wide range of abnormal connections in the hippocampus, involving memory, reward motivation, and cognitive control. Here we emphasized the potential of the hippocampus in studying sleep disturbances in IGD, especially the coupling between the pHIP and caudate nucleus, which could provide novel insight into how sleep interacts with motivational systems in IGD subjects.