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Brain & Nervous System

Microstructure abnormalities in adolescents with internet addiction disorder

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Yuan K, Qin W, Wang G, Zeng F, Zhao L, Yang X, Liu P, Liu J, Sun J, von Deneen KM, Gong Q, Liu Y, Tian J · 2011

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Internet addiction causes measurable brain structure changes in teenagers, raising questions about combined behavioral and EMF effects from device use.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers used brain imaging to study 18 teenagers with internet addiction disorder, comparing their brain structure to healthy controls. They found significant changes in brain gray matter volume and white matter integrity in areas responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation. The severity of these brain changes correlated directly with how long the teenagers had been addicted to the internet.

Study Details

To study the microstructure Abnormalities in Adolescents with Internet Addiction Disorder

We investigated the morphology of the brain in adolescents with IAD (N = 18) using an optimized voxe...

VBM results indicated the decreased gray matter volume in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cor...

Our results suggested that long-term internet addiction would result in brain structural alterations, which probably contributed to chronic dysfunction in subjects with IAD. The current study may shed further light on the potential brain effects of IAD

Cite This Study
Yuan K, Qin W, Wang G, Zeng F, Zhao L, Yang X, Liu P, Liu J, Sun J, von Deneen KM, Gong Q, Liu Y, Tian J (2011). Microstructure abnormalities in adolescents with internet addiction disorder PLoS One. 6(6):e20708, 2011.
Show BibTeX
@article{k_2011_microstructure_abnormalities_in_adolescents_2821,
  author = {Yuan K and Qin W and Wang G and Zeng F and Zhao L and Yang X and Liu P and Liu J and Sun J and von Deneen KM and Gong Q and Liu Y and Tian J},
  title = {Microstructure abnormalities in adolescents with internet addiction disorder},
  year = {2011},
  
  url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0020708},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Research shows internet addiction can alter brain structure in adolescents. A 2011 study found teenagers with internet addiction had reduced gray matter in areas controlling decision-making and impulse control, with changes correlating to addiction duration.
Yes, excessive internet use appears to impact brain development. Brain imaging of internet-addicted teenagers revealed structural changes in the prefrontal cortex and other regions responsible for executive function and emotional regulation.
Studies suggest internet addiction negatively affects teenage brain structure. Researchers found significant gray matter volume decreases and white matter changes in brain regions controlling decision-making, impulse control, and emotional processing in addicted adolescents.
Internet addiction may cause structural brain changes including reduced gray matter in the prefrontal cortex and altered white matter integrity. These changes affect areas responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation in teenagers.
Internet addiction appears to alter brain structure in ways that impair executive function. Brain scans show reduced gray matter volume and white matter changes in regions controlling decision-making and impulse control in addicted teenagers.