title: Altered regional cerebral glucose metabolism in internet game overusers: a 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Internet game overuse is an emerging disorder and features diminished impulse control and poor reward-processing. In an attempt to understand the neurobiological bases of Internet game overuse, we investigated the differences in regional cerebral glucose metabolism at resting state between young individuals with Internet game overuse and those with normal use using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty right-handed male participants (9 normal users: 24.7+/-2.4 years of age, 11 overusers: 23.5+/-2.9 years of age) participated. A trait measure of impulsivity was also completed after scanning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Internet game overusers showed greater impulsiveness than the normal users and there was a positive correlation between the severity of Internet game overuse and impulsiveness. Imaging data showed that the overusers had increased glucose metabolism in the right middle orbitofrontal gyrus, left caudate nucleus, and right insula, and decreased metabolism in the bilateral postcentral gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and bilateral occipital regions compared to normal users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Internet game overuse may be associated with abnormal neurobiological mechanisms in the orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, and sensory regions, which are implicated in impulse control, reward processing, and somatic representation of previous experiences. Our results support the idea that Internet game overuse shares psychological and neural mechanisms with other types of impulse control disorders and substance/non-substance-related addiction.
authors.affiliation: Seoul National University College of Medicine, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sang Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong Ae
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Eun Jin
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Sang Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sang Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D018910:Video Games / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose