New developments on the neurobiological and pharmaco-genetic mechanisms underlying internet and videogame addiction.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative literature review of 29 studies without formal systematic review methodology or meta-analysis.
PubMed 25864599 · doi:10.1111/ajad.12110
What was done
The authors conducted a literature search in PubMed for articles published between 2009 and 2013 using the search terms "internet addiction" and "videogame addiction." A total of 29 studies evaluating brain imaging (resting-state, task-based, and structural), genetics, and fMRI-monitored treatment interventions were selected and reviewed.
What was found
No quantitative effect sizes or numerical statistics were reported in the abstract. Qualitatively, resting-state imaging linked long-term gaming to alterations in brain regions governing reward, impulse control, and sensorimotor coordination. Cue-reactivity imaging showed gaming cues activated brain regions similarly to substance cue exposure. Structural studies identified alterations in ventral striatal volume. Videogame play was associated with dopamine release comparable to drugs of abuse alongside impaired inhibitory control. Treatment studies using fMRI demonstrated reductions in gaming craving alongside decreased associated brain activation.
Why it matters
The paper synthesizes early neurobiological evidence suggesting that behavioral addictions, such as excessive internet and videogame use, share striatal dopamine and prefrontal regulatory alterations with substance use disorders.
Limits
The abstract reports no numerical data, sample sizes, or demographic details for the 29 included studies. The underlying evidence consists primarily of early-stage, cross-sectional neuroimaging studies that cannot establish causality. As emphasized by the authors, the preliminary nature of the literature precludes concluding full equivalence between internet addiction and substance addictions.
Cited by
- context Digital addictions operate via dopamine and engage largely the same brain regions as substance addictions such as heroin or crack cocaine, producing compulsive use and withdrawal symptoms.