Altered default mode, limbic, and dorsal attention network connectivity after negative mood induction in problematic...

Problematic internet use is associated with emotion regulation difficulties, and negative mood states are known to trigger such use. However, how negative mood dynamically modulates large-scale brain network connectivity in individuals with problematic internet use remains unclear. This study investigated functional connectivity alterations following negative mood induction using independent component analysis.Twenty individuals with problematic internet use and twenty matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging before and after negative mood induction. Group-level independent component analysis identified intrinsic brain networks, and a 2 × 2 mixed-design compared within-network connectivity alterations between groups. Two-stage cluster-extent thresholding was employed (voxel-level p < .001 uncorrected; cluster-level FDR p < .05).Mood induction successfully elevated negative affect in both groups. Participants with problematic internet use showed differential connectivity alterations versus controls in four networks: prefrontal-parietal and temporo-sensorimotor subdivisions of Default Mode Network B, Limbic Network B, and Dorsal Attention Network B. The prefrontal-parietal Default Mode and Dorsal Attention effects were robust to non-parametric permutation testing, whereas the temporo-sensorimotor and limbic effects were preliminary. Alterations included increased orbitofrontal-subcallosal and decreased paracingulate-superior frontal connectivity (prefrontal-parietal Default Mode), reduced occipital connectivity (temporo-sensorimotor Default Mode), increased posterior temporal connectivity (Limbic), and decreased frontal pole with increased precuneus connectivity (Dorsal Attention).Problematic internet use is associated with mood-dependent alterations in default mode, limbic, and dorsal attention network connectivity. These network alterations are consistent with emotion regulation deficit models and suggest interventions targeting emotion regulation and prefrontal cognitive control may address neural mechanisms underlying mood-driven internet use.