Brain structures and activity during a working memory task associated with internet addiction tendency in young...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Excessive internet use is a growing concern, prompting research into its neurological underpinnings.
• Previous studies suggest internet addiction may affect brain structure and function, but large-scale investigations are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between internet addiction tendency (IAT) and brain characteristics in healthy young adults.
• To examine correlations between IAT scores and regional gray and white matter volumes (rGMVs and rWMVs).
• To assess brain activity during a working memory (WM) task in relation to IAT.

Main Methods:

• Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and multiple regression analysis were employed.
• A large sample of 1,154 healthy young adults (mean age 20.71 years) participated.
• Brain activity was measured during a 2-back working memory task.

Main Results:

• Higher IAT scores correlated positively with gray matter volume (GMV) in the right supramarginal gyrus (rSMG).
• IAT scores showed negative correlations with white matter volume (WMV) in frontal, sublobar, temporal lobes, cerebellum, and pons.
• IAT was positively correlated with brain activity in the default-mode network (DMN) during the WM task.
• Sex-specific interactions were observed in the left anterior insula and left lentiform, moderated by positive correlation in women.

Conclusions:

• Internet addiction tendency is associated with increased GMV in the rSMG, crucial for phonological processing.
• Decreased WMV in specific brain regions suggests potential alterations in response inhibition.
• Reduced task-induced deactivation of the DMN indicates altered attentional allocation in individuals with higher IAT.