EITAN NEUMARK EMILY PAUP

Internet Addiction and The Brain

Agenda

Background Survey Internet Addiction Forbes articleMicrostructure Abnormalities in Adolescents

with Internet Addiction DisorderThe Relationships Between Internet

Addiction, Subjective Vitality, and Subjective Happiness

Discussion

What is IAD?Internet overuse to a point where it interferes with

daily life

Do you have IAD?

(1) Do you feel absorbed in the Internet (remember previous online activity or the desired next online session)?

(2) Do you feel satisfied with Internet use if you increase your amount of online time?

(3) Have you failed to control, reduce, or quit Internet use repeatedly?

(4) Do you feel nervous, temperamental, depressed, or sensitive when trying to reduce or quit Internet use?

(5) Do you stay online longer than originally intended? (6) Have you taken the risk of losing a significant relationship,

job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet? (7) Have you lied to your family members, therapist, or others to

hide the truth of your involvement with the Internet? (8) Do you use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems

or of relieving an anxious mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilty, anxiety, or depression)?

General Information From Article

IAD leads to decreased volume in certain brain regions, many similar brain regions implicated in other addictions (gambling, substances, etc.)

Affected areas also crucial to emotional processing, executive thinking skills and attention, cognitive control

People with IAD may have other significant problems in life

Discussion Question

Should Internet Addiction Disorder be included in

the DSM-V?

Previous Research

Neural substrates of online gaming addiction: Right orbitofrontal cortex (rOFC), right nucleus accumbens, bilateral

anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial frontal cortex (MFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)

IAD in Chinese youths: 14% incidence rate, 24 million youths total Adolescents with IAD shown to have more impulsivity, lowered inhibition

ability

Brain abnormalities: Lower grey matter density in lACC, left posterior cingulate cortex, left

insula, left lingual gyrus Increased regional homogeneity in right cingulate gyrus, bilateral

parahippocampus

Treatments: Regimented schedules, strict discipline, electric shock therapy

Discussion Question

What are other possible treatments for IAD?

Microstructure Abnormalities in Adolescents with Internet Addiction Disorder

Chinese study looking at possible brain abnormalities with IAD

Freshman and Sophomore in college aged18 healthy controls, spent less than 2 hours a

day 18 in experiment condition, pre-screened to

see whether they have IAD or not (spent 10.2 +/- 2.6 hours per day online gaming)

Talked to parents and friends on phone to confirm internet habits

Subjects

Brain Imaging Methods

Voxel Based Morphometry Used to look at variances in grey matter by

regionDiffusion Tensor Imaging

MRI technique measuring restricted diffusion of water

Produces neural tract images Calculated Fractional Anisotrophy in each voxel

to look at level of diffusion Range of FA: 0-1 Smaller FA Value more diffusion, less coherence

Results VBM

Decreased grey matter volume Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC),

supplementary motor area (SMA), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), cerebellum, left rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC)

Negative correlation with gray matter & months addicted to internet Right DLPFC, the left rACC and the right SMA

No higher grey matter regions when compared to healthy subjects

Implications

DLPFC and rACC largely important for cognitive control DLPFC responsible for top-down regulatory processes of cognitive

control Cognitive Control

Neural mechanisms for actively maintaining information such as goals, instructions, plans, or events for short periods of time & using the information to appropriately guide and control behavior

Deactivation in rACC shown in heroin and cocaine users Long term drug addiction leads to decreased cognitive control

Conflict-monitoring hypothesis Response conflict is signaled by the rACC, recruits DLPFC for

future performance

Implications cont…

Orbitofrontal cortex contributes to goal-directed behavior Integrated with subcortical areas associated with

motivational behavior and reward processing Assessing significance of stimuli and selecting

behavior to obtain desired outcomeSMA important for selecting to

execute/inhibit behaviorsCerebellum: higher order cognitive functions

Working memory and inhibiting inappropriate behavior

Results DTI

Enhanced FA in posterior limb of the interior capsule (PLIC) Internal capsule = white matter separating the

caudate nucleus and the thalamus from the putamen & globus pallidus

Reduced FA in parahippocampal gyrus (PHG)Positive correlation between FA in PLIC and

duration of IAD

Implications

Parahippocampal gyrus Involved in memory encoding and retrieval, processing

sensory info, cognitive and emotional recognition, maintenance of working memory

Working memory Lower FA number could cause all aspects of PHG to be

impaired- especially WM Abnormal white matter amounts could also account for deficits

Enhanced value in PLIC Repetitive motor actions while online (mouse clicking, etc..)

could change structure Interference with cognitive and executive functions, tracts

connecting frontal and subcortical brain regions go through IC

Limitations

Small sample sizeAll freshman & sophomores in collegeAll Chinese citizensStructural abnormalities could result from

IAD, but could also be the cause Need further studies to determine difference

The Internet, Subjective Happiness, and Subjective Vitality

Three Parameters Subjective Happiness

Psychological state of well-being, joy, and contentment Subjective Vitality

Subjective experience of being full of energy and alive Internet addiction

Subjects 328 Turkish university students, ages 17-30

Results

Internet addiction negatively predicted vitality and happiness

Vitality mediated relationship between internet addiction and happiness If you have high vitality, can still be addicted to the

internet and be happy If individuals increase vitality, may decrease internet

addiction

Conclusion

IAD is a fairly new concept, most research has been tailored towards young people

Look at long-term effects of IADColleges should encourage healthy and

timely use of the internetToo much time spent on the internet can be

greatly problematicStill a problem with much to explore

Do you think the addictive powers of the

Internet parallel the addictive powers of

substances?

Any questions?