Neural, neurotransmitter, and molecular signatures of gray matter volume alterations in digital addiction.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Meta-analysis of observational case-control neuroimaging studies with normative atlas spatial correlation.
PubMed 42190596 · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.05.027
What was done
The authors conducted a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) meta-analysis using seed-based d mapping (SDM) to identify consistent gray matter volume (GMV) alterations in digital addiction (encompassing social media, gaming, and smartphone use) compared to control subjects. Spatial correlations between identified GMV changes and normative neurotransmitter distribution maps were evaluated using JuSpace. Transcriptomic decoding was performed via partial least squares regression (PLSR) against the Allen Human Brain Atlas, accompanied by gene enrichment and cell-type analyses.
What was found
The meta-analysis demonstrated GMV reductions in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and left medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) in individuals with digital addiction. These regional reductions spatially corresponded to serotonergic and GABAergic neurotransmitter systems. Transcriptomic decoding identified 534 genes associated with GMV changes, which were enriched for synaptic function and ion channel activity and predominantly expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons. The abstract reports no numerical effect sizes, test statistics, or sample sizes.
Why it matters
This study links macroscale structural brain alterations in digital addiction to underlying neurochemical pathways and gene expression profiles, supporting the conceptualization of compulsive digital media use within neurobiological models of behavioral addiction.
Limits
The abstract does not disclose the number of studies included, total participant counts, or effect size estimates. Neurotransmitter and transcriptomic links are based on spatial correlations with normative reference atlases from healthy donors rather than direct molecular measurements in individuals with digital addiction, and cross-sectional neuroimaging cannot establish whether gray matter alterations are causes or consequences of digital addiction.
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