Alterations in Amygdala Connectivity in Internet Addiction Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• Internet addiction (IA) is linked to emotional disturbances and amygdala abnormalities.
• The specific role of amygdala connectivity in emotion-cognition interactions in IA remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate abnormalities in both functional and structural amygdala connectivity in individuals with Internet addiction.
• To explore the relationship between altered brain connectivity and the duration of Internet addiction.

Main Methods:

• Seed-based connectivity analysis was used to examine functional and structural connectivity of the bilateral amygdala.
• White matter tract integrity passing through the amygdala was assessed.
• Correlation analysis investigated the link between brain connectivity and IA duration.

Main Results:

• Internet addiction subjects showed decreased negative functional connectivity (FC) between the amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
• Increased negative FC was observed between the amygdala and precuneus/superior occipital gyrus (SOG).
• Decreased positive FC between the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and increased positive FC with the thalamus were noted. Amygdala-ACC structural connectivity also decreased. FC between the left amygdala and right DLPFC correlated with IA duration.

Conclusions:

• Internet addiction significantly alters amygdala connectivity, affecting both functional and structural pathways.
• The observed changes in amygdala connectivity, particularly with the DLPFC, are associated with the duration of Internet addiction.
• These findings highlight the neural underpinnings of emotional and cognitive dysregulation in Internet addiction.