Altered Reward Processing System in Internet Gaming Disorder

Syeda Raiha; Syeda Raiha; Guochun Yang; Guochun Yang; Lingxiao Wang; Lingxiao Wang; Weine Dai; Weine Dai; Weine Dai; Weine Dai; Haiyan Wu; Guangteng Meng; Guangteng Meng; Bowei Zhong; Bowei Zhong; Xun Liu; Xun Liu

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.599141

Frontiers in Psychiatry (Dec 2020)

Altered Reward Processing System in Internet Gaming Disorder

Syeda Raiha,
Syeda Raiha,
Guochun Yang,
Guochun Yang,
Lingxiao Wang,
Lingxiao Wang,
Weine Dai,
Weine Dai,
Weine Dai,
Weine Dai,
Haiyan Wu,
Guangteng Meng,
Guangteng Meng,
Bowei Zhong,
Bowei Zhong,
Xun Liu,
Xun Liu

Affiliations

Syeda Raiha: Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Syeda Raiha: Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Guochun Yang: Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Guochun Yang: Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Lingxiao Wang: Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
Lingxiao Wang: Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
Weine Dai: Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Weine Dai: Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Weine Dai: Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, China
Weine Dai: CFIN and Pet Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Haiyan Wu: Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau
Guangteng Meng: Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Guangteng Meng: Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Bowei Zhong: Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Bowei Zhong: Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Xun Liu: Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Xun Liu: Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.599141
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11

Abstract

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Converging evidence indicates that addiction involves impairment in reward processing systems. However, the patterns of dysfunction in different stages of reward processing in internet gaming addiction remain unclear. In previous studies, individuals with internet gaming disorder were found to be impulsive and risk taking, but there is no general consensus on the relation between impulsivity and risk-taking tendencies in these individuals. The current study explored behavioral and electrophysiological responses associated with different stages of reward processing among individuals with internet gaming disorders (IGDs) with a delayed discounting task and simple gambling tasks. Compared to the healthy control (HC) group, the IGD group discounted delays more steeply and made more risky choices, irrespective of the outcome. As for the event-related potential (ERP) results, during the reward anticipation stage, IGDs had the same stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) for both large and small choices, whereas HCs exhibited a higher SPN in large vs. small choices. During the outcome evaluation stage, IGDs exhibited a blunted feedback-related negativity for losses vs. gains. The results indicate impairment across different stages of reward processing among IGDs. Moreover, we found negative correlation between impulsivity indexed by BIS-11 and reward sensitivity indexed by SPN amplitude during anticipation stage only, indicating different neural mechanisms at different stages of reward processing. The current study helps to elucidate the behavioral and neural mechanisms of reward processing in internet gaming addiction.

Published in Frontiers in Psychiatry

ISSN: 1664-0640 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry: Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system: Psychiatry
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry

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