Violence in video game produces a lower activation of limbic and temporal areas in response to social inclusion images

The impact of acute violent videogame exposure on neurocognitive markers of empathic concern

Research examining the purported association between violent gaming and aggression remains controversial due to concerns related to methodology, unclear neurocognitive mechanisms, and the failure to adequately consider the role of individual differences in susceptibility. To help address these concerns, we used fMRI and an emotional empathy task to examine whether acute and cumulative violent gaming exposure were associated with abnormalities in emotional empathy as a function of trait-empathy. Emotional empathy was targeted given its involvement in regulating not only aggression, but also other important social functions such as compassion and prosocial behaviour. We hypothesized that violent gaming exposure increases the risk of aberrant social behaviour by altering the aversive value of distress cues. Contrary to expectations, neither behavioural ratings nor empathy-related brain activity varied as a function of violent gaming exposure. Notably, however, activation patterns in somatosensory and motor cortices reflected an interaction between violent gaming exposure and trait empathy. Thus, our results are inconsistent with a straightforward relationship between violent gaming exposure and reduced empathy. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of considering both individual differences in susceptibility and other aspects of cognition related to social functioning to best inform public concern regarding safe gaming practices.

Changes of internet behavior of adolescents across the period of COVID-19 pandemic in China

During the COVID-19 pandemic, internet use and gaming of adolescents had been elevated. On the one hand, internet use and gaming in the period was a good approach to killing quarantined time. However, the increased use of the internet and game of adolescents may also increase the risk of internet addiction. This study aimed to describe the internet behavior changes of adolescents and to understand the impact of clinical features on internet addiction after the adolescents back to school in COVID-19 period. We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study using data collected through online investigation in China. Six hundred and twenty-five adolescents completed the online survey. Results indicated that internet addiction, having gaming use behaviors, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Conduct subscale scores and the SDQ Prosocial subscale scores before the COVID-19 outbreak were significant in predicting the internet addiction after the adolescents back to school. The proportion of internet addiction and gaming behaviors among adolescents in China was changed across the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical features before the COVID-19 pandemic could predict Internet addiction risk after the adolescents back to school.

A Typical Case Report: Internet Gaming Disorder Psychotherapy Treatment in Private Practice

Background: Online or internet gaming disorder (IGD) is currently not recognized as a mental disorder in the actual Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), although it is an emerging disease. Non-substance-related addictions often have similarities with substance addictions. It is therefore important to have a good understanding of the client but also to have a good endurance. Due to the rise of e-sports, there is an anticipated and therefore possible trend to have many more patients with a non-substance addiction. There are many parallels, for instance tolerance, withdrawal and social problems, resulting from an increasing investment of time spent on the internet. Case presentation: To reduce possible inhibition in treating a patient with IGD, we present a case of a 19-year-old adolescent man who exhibited IGD and showed social problems associated with his addiction. Conclusions: This paper shows the importance and the effects of treating a non-substance addiction with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). After having successfully coped with an addiction, several shifts in addiction were often reported. In this case, no shifts were reported. The absence of such shifts makes our case a distinct and unique case. This is not a multimorbidity case, and that is the reason why we think this is an excellent example to show what we achieved, how we achieved it, and what we could establish. Of course, additional research and manuals are urgently needed.

Neural correlates of sex-related differences in attachment dimensions

The purpose of this study was to investigate sex-related differences in the electrophysiological response to socioemotional stimuli (positive, negative, and ambiguous) depicting couple interactions. The associations between anxiety and avoidance attachment dimensions (measured with the Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised questionnaire) and the strength of cortico-limbic circuit intensity was explored, recorded using a 256-Hydrocel Geodesic Sensor-Net. Event-related potentials (ERPs) and standardized low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) data were analyzed for a total sample of 74 participants. Regression analyses showed that the women presented increased brain intensity compared with that in men, and the avoidance score was positively associated with brain intensity, particularly in response to negative socioemotional stimuli. The interaction sex per avoidance was a significant predictor of intensity in many brain areas, with women displaying significantly more pronounced positive associations between avoidance and brain intensity than men. In conclusion, the findings of the present study showed that women appeared to be more emotionally involved during the socioemotional task. Avoidance was positively associated with intensity of the cingulate and prefrontal regions, and these associations were more pronounced in women than in men. These findings suggested that avoidance seems to represent two different socioemotional strategies, in which women appear to activate an avoidant strategy to modulate increased emotional involvement in relationships, whereas men appear to adopt avoidance with a more intense emotional suppression.

Different Electrophysiological Responses to Pain-Related Visual Stimuli Between Fibromyalgia and Chronic low Back Pain Women: A Pilot Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome which occurs in the absence of an organic damage, whom causes is still unclear. Aims of this pilot study were to investigate the neural correlates of fibromyalgia in response to pain-related visual stimuli and explore the psychological differences among fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain (CLBP) and healthy conditions.

METHODS

After a clinical assessment, electrophysiological responses to pain-related visual stimuli were recorded using a 256-Hydrocel Geodesic-Sensor-Net. Event-related potentials (ERPs), standardised low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA), and psychological (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised) data were analysed for a total sample of 23 women (5 healthy volunteers, 12 fibromyalgia patients, 6 CLBP patients).

RESULTS

The main finding was that fibromyalgia women reported a different brain response to pain-related visual stimuli on the frontal montage compared to women with CLBP (p = .028). Moreover, fibromyalgia women showed an increased activity mainly on the hippocampus (p = .003) and the posterior cingulate cortex (p ≤ .001) in response to algic stimuli compared to not algic ones. Lastly, these women presented higher scores on the somatization (p = .002), obsession-compulsion (p = .045), depression (p = .043) and positive symptom distress (p = .023) dimensions compared to the healthy women.

CONCLUSIONS

These preliminary results suggest that although the painful symptoms are similar, the central elaboration of pain could be different between women with fibromyalgia and those with CLBP. Moreover, these findings provide preliminary evidences about the great alert and the central sensitivity to pain-related information regarding fibromyalgia patients.