Table 1.
Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies in internet addiction disorder
| Ref. | Design and aims | Participants | Diagnostic criteria and evaluation scales | fMRI methods | fMRI results |
| Liu et al[18] | Resting state fMRI study | n = 38, age range 18-25 yr | IAD: Beard's DQIA "5 + | Scanner: 3 T | Between group significant effects: |
| Aim: To analyze encephalic | Medication free 100% | 1 criteria" plus any one | FMRI Scan duration: | ReHo | |
| functional characteristic of | Right-handed 100% | of: ≥ 6 h/d for 3 mo | 9 min | IAD > NC in: Cerebellum, | |
| IAD under resting state | Normal neurological examination 100% | Decline in academic performance | Software used: SPM2 | brainstem, R CG, bilateral PH, R FL, L SFG, L precuneus, R PoCG, | |
| No comorbid psychiatric disorders | Unable to maintain normal school learning | ReHo measured by means of KCC | R MOG, R ITG, L STG, MTG | ||
| Groups: IGA n = 19 | Signal analyzed: | ||||
| Mean age: 21.0 ± 1.3 yr | BOLD | ||||
| Males n = 11 (57.9%) | Both whole brain and | ||||
| NC n = 19 (50%) | ROI based analysis | ||||
| Mean age: 20.0 ± 1.8 yr | |||||
| Males n = 11 (57.9%) | |||||
| Dong et al[21] | Resting state fMRI study | n = 29, age 24.2 ± 3.8 yr | IGD: YIAT ≥ 80 | Scanner: 3 T | Between group significant effects: |
| Aim: To investigate the | Males 100% | > 80% of the online time | FMRI Scan duration: | ReHo | |
| effects of long-time online | Medication free 100% | was spent playing | 9 min | IGA > NC in: Bilateral brainstem, | |
| game playing on visual and | Right-handed 100% | videogames | Software used: | bilateral IPL, L posterior | |
| auditory brain regions | No nicotine, cocaine or marijuana use | BDI < 5; MINI: No Axis I | DPARSF; ReHo measured by | cerebellum, L MiFG; IGA < NC in: L STG, L ITG, L OL, | |
| Groups: IGD n = 15; Age 24.2 ± 3.5 yr | psychiatric disorders | means of KCC; Signal analyzed: | L PL | ||
| NC n = 14; Age 24.6 ± 3.8 yr | BOLD; Both whole brain and | ||||
| ROI based analysis | |||||
| Seed based connectivity analysis | |||||
| 1Dong et al[31] | Resting-state and task | n = 71 | IGD: Young's IAT ≥ 50 | Scanner: 3 T | Between group significant effects: |
| related fMRI | Age 22.35 | > 80% of the online time | Rs fMRI Scan | RsFc | |
| Aim: To examine the Fc of | Males 100% | was spent playing | duration: 7 min | IGD < NC in: Total ECN and L | |
| ECN during both resting | Medication free 100% | videogames | Software used: REST, | ECN | |
| state and Stroop task | Right-handed 100% | BDI < 5 | DPARSF, SPM8, FSL | ||
| performing | No DSM 5 psychiatric disorders | MINI: No Axis I psychiatric disorders | Signal analyzed: BOLD | ||
| Groups: IGD n = 35 | Whole brain analysis | ||||
| Age 22.2 ± 3.8 yr | |||||
| NC n = 36 | |||||
| Age 22.8 ± 2.4 yr | |||||
| Kim et al[32] | Resting state fMRI study | n = 45 | For all participants: | Scanner: 3 T | Between group significant effects: |
| Aim: To compare the brain | Males 100% | WAIS III ≥ 80 | Rs fMRI Scan | ReHo | |
| functioning of IGD, AUD, | Medication free 100% | For IGD: YIAT ≥ 70 | duration: 8 min | (1) IGD vs NC | |
| and NC during resting state | Groups: IGD n = 16 | > 4.5 h/d were spent | Software used: | IGD > NC in L PCC | |
| Age 21.6 ± 5.9 yr | playing online | DPARSF, SPM8, | IGD < NC in R STG | ||
| AUD n = 14 | For AUD: SCID criteria | REST | (2) IGD vs AUD | ||
| Age 28.6 ± 5.9 yr | AUDIT-K | ReHo measured by | IGD < NC in R STG | ||
| NC n = 15 | < 2 h/d were spent | means of KCC | (3) AUD vs NC | ||
| Age 25.4 ± 5.9 yr | online | Signal analyzed: | AUD > NC in R PCC, R insula, L | ||
| IGD were significantly | Other scales | BOLD | MTG | ||
| younger than AUD | administered to all | Whole brain analysis | AUD < NC in R ACC | ||
| (P < 0.01) | subjects: | ||||
| BDI: IGD and AUD > NC (P < 0.01) | |||||
| BAI: AUD > NC (P < 0.01) | |||||
| BIS-11: IGD and AUD > NC (P < 0.01) | |||||
| Zhang et al[34] | Resting state fMRI study | n = 115 | IGD: CIAS ≥ 67 | Scanner: 3 T | Between group significant effects: |
| fMRI in young adults with Internet gaming disorder | Males 100%; Medication free 100% | Internet gaming > 14 h/wk for 1 yr | Rs fMRI Scan duration: 7 min | RsFC; L anterior insula | |
| using rsFC | Right-handed 100%; Groups: IGD n = 74 | Playing as the principal online activity | Software used: DPABI, REST, SPM8 | IGD > NC in R putamen, R angular gyrus, IFG | |
| Aim: To study resting-state | age 22.3 ± 2 yr; n = 57 alcohol drinkers | NC: CIAS < 60 | Signal analyzed: BOLD | R anterior insula; IGD > NC in ACC, middle CG, | |
| functional connectivity of | n = 8 cigarette smokers | internet gaming < | Seed based | L angular gyrus, L precuneus, | |
| the insula in IGD | NC n = 41; | 2 h/wk | connectivity analysis | Bilateral SFG and STG | |
| age 23.0 ± 2.1 yr | Other scales: FTND | L posterior insula | |||
| n = 29 alcohol drinkers | BDI: IGD > NC | IGD > NC in bilateral PoCG, L | |||
| Cigarette use and frequency of alcohol use were higher in IGD with respect to NC (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) | (P < 0.001); BAI: IGD > NC (P < 0.01) | precentral gyrus, R SMA, STG; R posterior insula; IGD > NC in bilateral STG | |||
| No comorbid psychiatric disorders |
Only resting state results are showed. AUD: Alcohol use disorder; IAD: Internet addiction disorder; IGD: Internet gaming disorder; NC: Normal controls; AUDIT-K: Korean version of alcohol use disorder identification test; BAI: Beck anxiety inventory; BDI: Beck depression inventory; BIS-11: Barratt impulsiveness scale-version 11; CIAS: Chen internet addiction scale; DQIA: Beard’s diagnostic questionnaire for internet addiction; FTND: Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence; MINI: Mini international neuropsychiatric interview; SCID: Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV; YIAT: Young’s internet addiction test; WAIS: Wechsler adult intelligence scale; DPARSF: Data processing assistant for resting-state fMRI; KCC: Kendall’s coefficient of concordance; ReHo: Regional homogeneity; RsFC: Resting state functional connectivity; SPM: Statistical parametric mapping; R: Right; L: Left; ACC: Anterior cingulate cortex; CG: Cingulate gyrus; ECN: Executive control network; FL: Frontal lobe; IFG: Inferior frontal gyrus; IPL: Inferior parietal lobule; ITG: Inferior temporal gyrus; MiFG: Middle frontal gyrus; MOG: Middle occipital gyrus; MTG: Middle temporal gyrus; OL: Occipital lobe; PCC: Posterior cingulate cortex; PH: Parahippocampus; PL: Parietal lobe; PoCG: Postcentral gyrus; SFG: Superior frontal gyrus; SMA: Supplementary motor area; STG: Superior temporal gyrus.