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Cognitive control and reward/loss processing in Internet gaming disorder: Results from a comparison with recreational Internet game-users

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

G. Dong ,
H. Li ,
L. Wang  and
M.N. Potenza
G. Dong*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, 321004Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, PR China Institute of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 321004Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, PR China
H. Li
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, 321004Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, PR China
L. Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, 321004Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, PR China
M.N. Potenza*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neurobiology, Child Study Center, and National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of MedicineNew Haven, CT06519, USA Connecticut Mental Health Center, 06519New Haven, CT, USA
*
* Corresponding author. Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, PR China. Tel.: +86 158 679 499 09.
* Corresponding author. Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, PR China. Tel.: +86 158 679 499 09.
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Abstract

Although playing of Internet games may lead to Internet gaming disorder (IGD), most game-users do not develop problems and only a relatively small subset experiences IGD. Game playing may have positive health associations, whereas IGD has been repeatedly associated with negative health measures, and it is thus important to understand differences between individuals with IGD, recreational (non-problematic) game use (RGU) and non-/low-frequency game use (NLFGU). Individuals with IGD have shown differences in neural activations from non-gamers, yet few studies have examined neural differences between individuals with IGD, RGU and NLFGU. Eighteen individuals with IGD, 21 with RGU and 19 with NFLGU performed a color-word Stroop task and a guessing task assessing reward/loss processing. Behavioral and functional imaging data were collected and compared between groups. RGU and NLFGU subjects showed lower Stroop effects as compared with those with IGD. RGU subjects as compared to those with IGD demonstrated less frontal cortical activation brain activation during Stroop performance. During the guessing task, RGU subjects showed greater cortico-striatal activations than IGD subjects during processing of winning outcomes and greater frontal brain during processing of losing outcomes. Findings suggest that RGU as compared with IGD subjects show greater executive control and greater activations of brain regions implicated in motivational processes during reward processing and greater cortical activations during loss processing. These findings suggest neural and behavioral features distinguishing RGU from IGD and mechanisms by which RGU may be motivated to play online games frequently yet avoid developing IGD.

Keywords

Recreational Internet game useInternet gaming disorderExecutive controlReward/punishment sensitivity
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 44 , July 2017 , pp. 30 - 38
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2017

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