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An analysis of the brain structures underlying the link between pathological Internet use and anxiety
1Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality (CICA-BEQ), Beijing Normal University, China; Child and Family Education Research Center, Beijing Normal University, China; Institute of Mental Health and Education, Beijing Normal University, China.
Addictive Behaviors
|September 9, 2020
Summary
Anxiety in adolescents may lead to pathological Internet use (PIU) through changes in the right inferior parietal lobe
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Pathological Internet use (PIU) is a growing concern among adolescents, often linked to anxiety.
- The neural mechanisms connecting anxiety and PIU are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between brain structure, anxiety, and PIU in healthy male adolescents.
- To explore the mediating role of brain structure in the anxiety-PIU association.
Main Methods:
- Collected data on PIU, anxiety levels, and T1-weighted structural MRI from 95 male adolescents.
- Utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to analyze grey matter density and mediation analyses to explore relationships.
Main Results:
- Positive correlation found between PIU tendency and regional grey matter density (rGMD) in the right inferior parietal lobe (IPL).
- The rGMD in the right IPL was identified as a mediator between anxiety and PIU.
- Findings support the mood enhancement theory and the I-PACE model.
Conclusions:
- Higher anxiety in adolescents may predict increased Internet use, with the right IPL's grey matter density underlying this cognitive mechanism.
- This research offers a brain structural perspective on the anxiety-PIU link, aiding in PIU prevention strategies.
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