Digital games addiction

Introduction:

Digital gaming addiction is becoming increasingly prevalent and recognized as a legitimate mental health condition worldwide. Understanding the brain's neurological processes involved in this disorder is essential in developing effective treatments. In this note, we will explore the brain's part that is affected when a person is addicted to playing digital games.

Digital games have become increasingly popular over the years, and with the advent of online gaming, people are spending more time playing games than ever before. Addiction to digital games is a growing concern, and research has shown that it can affect the reward centers of the brain.

The Prefrontal Cortex:

The prefrontal cortex is the brain region that is most frequently linked to digital gaming addiction. This area of the brain is responsible for executive functions, including decision-making, planning, working memory, and impulse control. Several studies have found that individuals with gaming addiction have a reduced gray matter volume in the prefrontal cortex, especially the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (1, 2).

In a study conducted by Kühn and Gallinat (2014), they examined the brain structures of 154 participants, including 45 individuals with internet gaming disorder (IGD) and 109 healthy controls. They found that the participants with IGD had a significant reduction in gray matter volume in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and insula, which are brain regions involved in cognitive control, decision-making, and reward processing (1).

Another study by Yuan et al. (2013) examined the functional connectivity of the prefrontal cortex in 17 male participants with IGD and 16 healthy controls. The researchers found that the connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the striatum was significantly weaker in the IGD group. This weakened connectivity may contribute to impaired decision-making and reduced impulse control in individuals with gaming addiction (2).

The Striatum:

The striatum is a brain region responsible for the processing of rewards and motivation. It is the area of the brain that is most commonly associated with addiction, including drug addiction and gambling addiction. Several studies have found that individuals with gaming addiction have altered activity in the striatum, which may contribute to their compulsive gaming behavior.

In a study conducted by Dong et al. (2011), they examined the brain activity of 17 individuals with IGD and 16 healthy controls while they were playing a video game. They found that the participants with IGD had significantly higher activation in the striatum than the healthy controls, indicating that they were more sensitive to rewards (3).

Another study by Ko et al. (2015) examined the striatal dopamine release in 20 male participants with IGD and 20 healthy controls. The researchers found that the participants with IGD had a significantly higher dopamine release in the striatum when they were playing a video game compared to when they were resting. This increased dopamine release may contribute to the intense pleasure and reward experienced by individuals with gaming addiction (4).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the prefrontal cortex and the striatum are two brain regions that are primarily affected when a person is addicted to playing digital games. Individuals with gaming addiction may have reduced gray matter volume in the prefrontal cortex, which may impair their decision-making, planning, and impulse control. They may also have altered activity in the striatum, which may contribute to their compulsive gaming behavior and intense pleasure and reward experienced while playing. Understanding the neurological processes involved in gaming addiction is essential for developing effective treatments for this disorder.

References:

Kühn, S., & Gallinat, J. (2014). Gray matter correlates of video gaming addiction: evidence from voxel-based morphometry. Addiction biology, 20(5), 583-589.

Yuan, K., Qin, W., Wang, G., Zeng, F., Zhao, L., Yang, X., ... & Liu, J. (2013). Microstructure abnormalities in adolescents with internet addiction disorder. PloS one, 8