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Computer and video game addiction-a comparison between game users and non-game users
1Department of Medical Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Hadassah Hospital, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel. avivweinstein@yahoo.com
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
|June 16, 2010
Summary
Computer game addiction may alter brain reward pathways, similar to substance dependence. Dopamine D2 receptor imaging reveals reduced sensitivity in healthy individuals after gaming, suggesting potential addiction mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Computer game addiction involves excessive gaming, potentially impacting daily life.
- Its diagnostic criteria, particularly in relation to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing literature on computer and video game addiction, covering diagnosis, phenomenology, epidemiology, and treatment.
- To present findings from a brain imaging study investigating dopamine release during computer game engagement.
Main Methods:
- A literature search identified 15 relevant articles published between 2000 and 2009.
- Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [123I] IBZM was used to image dopamine D2 receptor occupancy in 9 abstinent ecstasy users and 8 controls during a computer game.
Main Results:
- Computer game playing can induce long-term changes in brain reward circuitry, mirroring substance dependence effects.
- Healthy controls showed a 10.5% decrease in dopamine D2 receptor occupancy in the caudate nucleus after gaming, indicating increased dopamine release.
- Ex-ecstasy users exhibited no significant change in dopamine D2 receptor occupancy post-gaming.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest that individuals with a history of psycho-stimulant use may have a diminished sensitivity to natural rewards.
- Computer game addicts and gamblers might display a reduced dopamine response to addiction-related stimuli, potentially due to neural sensitization.
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