Abnormal Functional Connectivity in Cognitive Control Network, Default Mode Network, and Visual Attention Network in...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Mental Health

Background:

• Internet addiction (IA) is a growing global concern with unclear pathophysiology.
• Previous functional connectivity studies often used limited regions of interest (ROI), potentially biasing results.
• A comprehensive whole-brain approach is needed to understand IA's neural underpinnings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whole-brain functional connectivity abnormalities in individuals with Internet addiction using local functional connectivity density (lFCD).
• To explore correlations between clinical measures of IA severity and observed functional connectivity alterations.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired from 28 IA individuals and 30 healthy controls (HCs).
• Whole-brain local functional connectivity density (lFCD) was calculated and compared between groups.
• Voxel-based correlation analyses examined the relationship between IA severity (Young's Internet Addiction Test score) and lFCD.

Main Results:

• IA subjects exhibited increased lFCD in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), left parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), cerebellum, middle cingulate cortex (MCC), and superior temporal pole (STP).
• Decreased lFCD was observed in the right inferior parietal lobe (IPL), calcarine, and lingual gyrus in IA subjects.
• Significant correlations were found between IA severity and altered lFCD in the left PHG and bilateral STP.

Conclusions:

• IA is characterized by hyper-connectivity in cognitive control and default mode networks, and hypo-connectivity in the visual attention network.
• These findings highlight shared neurobiological mechanisms between IA and substance addiction.
• The results suggest an underlying neurobiological link between IA and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.