Diffusion-weighted MRI measures suggest increased white-matter integrity in Internet gaming disorder: Evidence from the comparison with recreational Internet game users

Guangheng Dong; Lingdan Wu; Ziliang Wang; Yifan Wang; Xiaoxia Du; Marc N Potenza

doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.01.030

Diffusion-weighted MRI measures suggest increased white-matter integrity in Internet gaming disorder: Evidence from the comparison with recreational Internet game users

Addict Behav. 2018 Jun:81:32-38. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.01.030. Epub 2018 Feb 2.

Authors

Guangheng Dong¹, Lingdan Wu², Ziliang Wang³, Yifan Wang³, Xiaoxia Du⁴, Marc N Potenza⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, PR China; Institute of Psychological and Brain Researches, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, PR China. Electronic address: dongguangheng@zjnu.edu.cn.
² Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
³ Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, PR China.
⁴ Department of Physics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, PR China.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Child Study Center, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Child Study Center, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address: Marc.Potenza@yale.edu.

PMID: 29421348
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.01.030

Abstract

Several studies have suggested that Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is related to altered brain white matter integrity. However, seeming inconsistencies exist and may reflect comparison groups not matched well for certain gaming characteristics. In order to address this possible concern, we recruited in the present study individuals with recreational Internet game use (RGU) comprised of individuals who spend similar amounts of time as IGD subjects playing online games without developing IGD. Diffusion tensor imaging data were collected from 42 IGD and 44 RGU subjects. Whole-brain comparisons showed that IGD subjects demonstrated increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the bilateral anterior thalamic radiation, anterior limb of the internal capsule, bilateral corticospinal tract, bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, corpus callosum, and bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus. In addition, Internet-addiction severity was positively correlated with FA values. Taken together, we conclude that IGD is associated with measures of increased white-matter integrity in tracts linking reward circuitry and sensory and motor control systems.

Keywords: Diffusion tensor imaging; Fractional anisotropy; Internet gaming disorder; Recreational internet game use.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anisotropy
Behavior, Addictive / diagnostic imaging*
Brain / diagnostic imaging*
Case-Control Studies
Corpus Callosum / diagnostic imaging
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Humans
Internal Capsule / diagnostic imaging
Internet*
Reward
Severity of Illness Index
Thalamus / diagnostic imaging
Video Games*
White Matter / diagnostic imaging*
Young Adult