In:
Psychoradiology, Oxford University Press (OUP)
Abstract:
Impulsivity and decision-making are key factors in addiction. However, little is known about how gender and time sensitivity affect impulsivity in Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Methods We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging study with 123 participants, including 59 IGD individuals (26 females) and 64 matched recreational game-users (RGUs, 23 females). Participants performed a delay-discounting task (DDT) during fMRI scanning. We examined gender-by-group effects on behavioral and neural measures to explore the preference for immediate over delayed rewards and the associated brain activity. We also investigated the network correlations between addiction severity and behavioral and neural measures, and analyzed the mediating role of brain activity in the link between delay discounting parameters and IGD severity. Results We found significant gender-by-group interactions. The imaging results revealed gender-by-group interactions in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), medial frontal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Post-hoc analysis indicated that, for females, RGUs showed higher activity than IGD individuals in these brain regions, while for males, IGD individuals exhibited higher activity than RGUs. The activation in the left IFG mediated the relation between Internet Addiction Test (IAT) score and discount rate in females. In males, the activation in the right dlPFC mediated the relation between IAT score and time sensitivity. Discussion Our findings imply that male IGD participants demonstrate impaired intertemporal decisions associated with neural dysfunction. Influencing factors for impulsive decision-making in IGD diverge between males [time sensitivity] and females [discount rate] . These findings augment our comprehension of the neural underpinnings of gender differences in IGD and bear significant implications for devising effective intervention strategies for treating IGD subjects.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2634-4416
DOI:
10.1093/psyrad/kkad015
Language:
English
Publisher:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Publication Date:
2023
detail.hit.zdb_id:
3076092-6
