Altered regional cerebral glucose metabolism in internet game overusers: a 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography study.
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.
Park
Hyun Soo
HS
Seoul National University College of Medicine, South Korea.
Kim
Sang Hee
SH
Bang
Seong Ae
SA
Yoon
Eun Jin
EJ
Cho
Sang Soo
SS
Kim
Sang Eun
SE
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
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose