Altered Reward Processing System in Internet Gaming Disorder

Navigating Exploitative Traps: Unveiling the Uncontrollable Reward Seeking of Internet Gaming Disordered Individuals

BACKGROUND

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) involves an imbalance in the brain's dual-system, characterized by heightened reward-seeking and diminished cognitive control, which leads to decision-making challenges. The exploration-exploitation strategy is key to decision-making, but how IGD affects this process is unclear.

METHODS

To investigate the impact of IGD on decision-making, a modified version of the two-armed bandit task was employed. Participants included 41 IGD individuals and 44 healthy control (HC) individuals. The study assessed the strategies used by participants in the task, particularly focusing on the exploitation-exploration strategy. Additionally, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine brain activation patterns during decision-making and estimation phasess.

RESULTS

The study found that individuals with IGD demonstrated a higher reliance on exploitative strategies in decision-making due to their elevated value-seeking tendencies and decreased cognitive control. IGD individuals also displayed heightened activation in the pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA) and the ventral striatum (VS) compared to the HC group in both decision-making and estimation phases. Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) showed more inhibition in IGD individuals than in the HC group during exploitative strategies. This inhibition was found to decrease as cognitive control diminished.

CONCLUSION

The study concludes that the imbalance in the development of the dual-system in individuals with IGD may lead to an over-reliance on exploitative strategies. This imbalance, marked by increased reward-seeking and reduced cognitive control, contributes to difficulties in decision-making and value-related behavioral processes in IGD individuals.

Neural Differences in Relation to Risk Preferences during Reward Processing: An Event-Related Potential Study

Inter-individual variability in risk preferences can be reflected in reward processing differences, making people risk-seekers or risk-averse. However, the neural correlates of reward processing in individuals with risk preferences remain unknown. Consequently, this event-related potential (ERP) study examined and compared electrophysiological correlates associated with different stages of reward processing in risk-seeking and risk-averse groups. Individuals scoring in the bottom and top 20% on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) were deemed risk-averse and risk-seeking, respectively. Participants engaged in a gambling task while their electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded. Risk-seekers tended to choose high-risk options significantly more frequently than low-risk options, whereas risk-averse individuals chose low-risk options significantly more frequently than high-risk ones. All participants selected the low-risk alternative more slowly than the high-risk option. During the anticipation stage, the low-risk option elicited a relatively attenuated stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) response from risk-seekers compared to risk-averse participants. During the outcome stage, feedback-related negativity (FRN) increased in risk-seekers responding to greater losses but not in risk-averse participants. These results indicate that ERP components can detect differences in reward processing during risky situations. In addition, these results suggest that motivation and cognitive control, along with their associated neural processes, may play a central role in differences in reward-based behavior between the two groups.

The roles of behavioral inhibition/activation systems and impulsivity in problematic smartphone use: A network analysis

Background

Behavioral inhibition/activation systems (BIS/BAS) and impulsivity are associated with problematic smartphone use (PSU). However, no studies to date have explored how the subdomains of BIS/BAS and the dimensions of impulsivity relate to the components of PSU in a joint framework. This study aimed to examine the relationships between the three constructs at a fine-grained level and identify the central nodes and bridge nodes of their relationships using network analysis.

Methods

A regularized partial correlation network of PSU, BIS/BAS, and impulsivity communities was estimated to investigate the connections between variables and determine the expected influence and bridge expected influence for each variable based on data from 325 Chinese adults. PSU, BIS/BAS, and impulsivity were assessed using the Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS), BIS/BAS scales, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Version 11 (BIS-11), respectively.

Results

In addition to connections within each community, network analysis revealed that there were connections between different communities, especially connections to PSU. I2 "motor impulsivity" was strongly associated with PSU2 "conflict" and PSU6 "relapse"; BASR "BAS-reward responsiveness" was strongly associated with PSU5 "withdrawal." Nodes BASR "BAS-reward responsiveness" and PSU6 "relapse" were the most central variables, while nodes BASR "BAS-reward responsiveness" and I2 "motor impulsivity" were the strongest bridge variables.

Conclusion

The connections between the subdomains of BIS/BAS and the components of PSU and between the dimensions of impulsivity and the components of PSU may be particularly important in the development and maintenance of PSU. The central variables identified here, along with the bridge variables, could be promising and effective targets for the prevention and intervention of PSU.

Current Status of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in Japan: New Lifestyle-Related Disease in Children and Adolescents

The World Health Organization recognizes internet gaming disorder (IGD) as a disorder that causes problems in daily life as a result of excessive interest in online games. The causes of IGD have become more apparent in recent years. Because of prolonged exposure to games, the mechanisms controlling the reward system, such as the prefrontal cortex, limbic system, and amygdala of the cerebrum, do not function properly in IGD. This mechanism is similar to that of various behavioral addictions, such as gambling addiction. IGD is particularly risky in children and adolescents because it easily causes brain dysfunction, especially in the developing brain. IGD should be regarded as a new lifestyle-related disease in younger individuals, and lifestyle modifications, including counseling and family therapy, are critical for its management.

Predictors of Gaming Disorder or Protective from It, in a French Sample: A Symptomatic Approach to Self-Regulation and Pursued Rewards, Providing Insights for Clinical Practice

Gaming disorder (GD) is a new health condition still requiring a lot of evidence established around its underlying and related psychological mechanisms. In our study we focused on Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs), a specific very popular and engaging game genre, to determine that benefit, motivation and control aspects could be predictive of a dysfunctional engagement in gaming. In total, 313 participants were recruited from private forums of gamers between May 2009 and March 2010. They filled out a questionnaire on their socio-demographic data and their weekly gaming time. They also completed different psychometric assessments such as the DSM IV-TR criteria for substance dependence adapted to gaming such as the Dependence Adapted Scale (DAS), the external rewards they expected from gaming (External Motives), the expected internal reward they expected from gaming (Internal Motives), the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale (ZSSS), and the Barratt impulsiveness Scale (BIS-10). Results showed that some psychological factors related to online gaming represented risk factors for GD in participants (i.e., competition and advancement motives, reduced anxiety, solace, greater personal satisfaction, and sense of power), whereas some others were found to be protective factors from GD (i.e., recreation, enjoyment and experience seeking) in participants. Additionally, the study found that disinhibition, boredom susceptibility, thrill and adventure seeking, and high impulsivity were correlated to GD in participants. In conclusion, not only motives for gaming and impulsivity could be predictors for GD, but maladaptive coping strategies based on experienced relief in-game from negative feelings (anxiety and boredom) or experienced improvement in-game of self-perception (personal satisfaction, sense of power) could play as well a role of negative reinforcers for GD. Some benefits from gaming, typically entertainment and enjoyment, are shown to be protective factors from GD, playing the role of positive reinforcing factors. They are worthy of being identified and promoted as functional gaming habits. These findings can feed the clinical and health promotion fields, with a more in-depth understanding of diverse psychological factors in gamers, identifying those at risk for GD and those protective from it. The current work can foster a more balanced approach towards gaming activities, taking their opportunities for mankind and controlling for their adverse effects in some individuals.

Problem mobile gaming: The role of mobile gaming habits, context, and platform

Aims: Mobile gaming is a dominant form of gaming, known for its portability and for game characteristics that motivate continuous play and spending. Such involvement may also turn problematic, but research on problem gaming (PG) has tended to focus on non-mobile forms of gaming. The study was based on a cross-sectional observational design where students in upper secondary schools were recruited to a survey about mobile gaming. The age of the respondents ranged from 16 to 23 years (n = 519; 52.4% men; mean age = 17.2 years, SD = 1.1). Methods: We examined (1) gaming frequency, gaming contexts, and in-game spending in relation to PG; (2) gaming context in relation to academic achievement and sleep quality; and (3) PG according to gaming platform (i.e., playing on mobile, console/computer, or mixed platforms) with Kruskal−Wallis tests, chi-square tests and Spearman rank-order correlations. Results: PG was positively associated with mobile gaming hours per week (η² = .02, p < .01), minutes per session (η² = .03, p < .001), making in-app purchases (Cramer's V = .15, p < .05), and gaming during homework (Cramer's V = .14, p < .05). Statistically significant associations were found between mobile gaming in bed and later sleep midpoint for weekdays (r_s = .18, p < .001) and weekends (r_s = .11, p < .05). Mixed platform gamers had increased likelihood of PG, console/computer gamers had increased likelihood of being at risk for PG, and mobile gamers had lower risk for PG (Cramer's V = .18, p < .001). Conclusion: Future studies should include specific measures of mobile gaming as it appears implicated in problem gaming, albeit to a lesser degree than console and computer gaming.

[Inclusion of gaming disorder as a behavioral addiction in ICD-11]

Inclusion of gaming disorder as a behavioral addiction in ICD-11 Abstract. With the inclusion of the new category "disorders due to addictive behaviors" in ICD-11, it has been officially recognized by the WHO that highly rewarding behaviors, analogous to psychotropic substances, can become addictive. In addition to gambling disorder, which was already listed in ICD-10, computer gaming disorder was added as a new diagnosis in this category. The phenotype is characterized by loss of control, priority of gaming over other activities, continuation of gaming despite negative consequences, and the condition of significant impairment caused by the symptomatology. Disorder-typical pathomechanisms include consumption-dependent factors, developmental factors, changes in reward sensitivity and processing, and biased reward expectations (cognitions). Psychotherapeutic care for children, adolescents, and young adults with this disorder, who now comprise a substantial proportion of outpatient care, is challenging. In addition to the development of valid diagnostic tools and effective intervention methods, there is a great need for further training in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy on this new disorder.

How Impulsiveness Influences Obesity: The Mediating Effect of Resting-State Brain Activity in the dlPFC

Impulsiveness is a stable personal characteristic that contributes to obesity and may interact with it. Specifically, obesity is caused by unrestrained impulse eating that is not consciously controlled and leads to a hormonal imbalance that also can impair impulse control. However, the mechanism of this relationship is unclear. In our study, 35 obese individuals (body mass index, BMI > 28) were recruited and matched with 31 healthy controls (BMI < 24) in age and education level. All the participants underwent a resting-state fMRI and completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. The results showed that patients with obesity had a significantly lower fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and higher fALFF in the left fusiform cortex. In addition, non-planning impulsiveness was positively correlated with BMI. Importantly, we found that the right dlPFC completely mediated the relationship between non-planning impulsiveness and BMI. Our findings suggest that impulsivity is statistically more likely to precede obesity than to precede impulsivity and contributes to obesity by downregulating spontaneous activity in the dlPFC. This suggests that the dlPFC, which is associated with executive control, may be able a potential target for treating obesity.

Delay Discounting in Established and Proposed Behavioral Addictions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Steep delay discounting, or a greater preference for smaller-immediate rewards over larger-delayed rewards, is a common phenomenon across a range of substance use and psychiatric disorders. Non-substance behavioral addictions (e.g., gambling disorder, internet gaming disorder, food addiction) are of increasing interest in delay discounting research. Individual studies have reported steeper discounting in people exhibiting various behavioral addictions compared to controls or significant correlations between discounting and behavioral addiction scales; however, not all studies have found significant effects. To synthesize the published research in this area and identify priorities for future research, we conducted a pre-registered systematic review and meta-analysis (following PRISMA guidelines) of delay discounting studies across a range of behavioral addiction categories. The final sample included 78 studies, yielding 87 effect sizes for the meta-analysis. For studies with categorical designs, we found statistically significant, medium-to-large effect sizes for gambling disorder (Cohen’s d = 0.82) and IGD (d = 0.89), although the IGD effect size was disproportionately influenced by a single study (adjusted d = 0.53 after removal). Categorical internet/smartphone studies were non-significant (d = 0.16, p = 0.06). Aggregate correlations in dimensional studies were statistically significant, but generally small magnitude for gambling (r = 0.22), internet/smartphone (r = 0.13) and food addiction (r = 0.12). Heterogeneity statistics suggested substantial variability across studies, and publication bias indices indicated moderate impact of unpublished or small sample studies. These findings generally suggest that some behavioral addictions are associated with steeper discounting, with the most robust evidence for gambling disorder. Importantly, this review also highlighted several categories with notably smaller effect sizes or categories with too few studies to be included (e.g., compulsive buying, exercise addiction). Further research on delay discounting in behavioral addictions is warranted, particularly for categories with relatively few studies.

Problematic smartphone use: The role of reward processing, depressive symptoms and self-control

The widespread adoption of smartphones has been associated with the emergence of problematic smartphone use. Problematic smartphone use is consistently associated with increased levels of depression and lower self-control, and pathological technology use more generally may be associated with reduced activity in the reward system, an effect that is also observed in depression and with poor self-control. The current study sought to examine the association between problematic smartphone use and event-related potentials (ERPs) related to reward processing, and to determine whether reward processing, depressive symptoms and self-control have shared or unique influences on problematic smartphone use. The sample was drawn from a university student population (N = 94, age M = 19.34, SD = 1.23 years, 67 female, 25 male, 1 gender non-conforming, 1 unidentified). Participants performed a gambling task while EEG was recorded and completed measures of smartphone pathology, depressive symptoms and self-control. The ERP data revealed that increasing problematic smartphone use was associated with reduced ERP amplitude for gains and losses when individuals were the agent of choice, but not when the computer chose. This may reflect a selective association between problematic smartphone use and neural prediction errors. Regression analyses revealed that reward processing, depressive symptoms and self-control were predictors of problematic smartphone use, possibly revealing multiple pathways to problematic smartphone use.