title: Excessive users of violent video games do not show emotional desensitization: an fMRI study.
abstract: Playing violent video games have been linked to long-term emotional desensitization. We hypothesized that desensitization effects in excessive users of violent video games should lead to decreased brain activations to highly salient emotional pictures in emotional sensitivity brain regions. Twenty-eight male adult subjects showing excessive long-term use of violent video games and age and education matched control participants were examined in two experiments using standardized emotional pictures of positive, negative and neutral valence. No group differences were revealed even at reduced statistical thresholds which speaks against desensitization of emotion sensitive brain regions as a result of excessive use of violent video games.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hanover, Germany. szycik.gregor@mh-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Gregor R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Szycik
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.|CNS-LAB, International Neuroscience Institute, Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hake
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kneer
authors.affiliation: CNS-LAB, International Neuroscience Institute, Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Samii
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.|Institute of Psychology II, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Münte
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital of the Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Bert T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Te Wildt
mesh_terms: D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D000069581:Exposure to Violence; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology*; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Desensitization; General Aggression Model, Catalyst Model; Video games; Violence