Neuroimaging of Internet Addiction and Internet Gaming Disorder: New Researches

Growing use of technology, despite all its benefits, has led to problems that one of them is Internet Addiction. Recently, Internet Gaming Addiction added to the section of conditions for further study in 5th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) which indicates the importance of this issue. Researches conducted in Iran has shown that almost 30% of students are mild to severe addicted to the Internet and in this regard, experience problems such as educational problems, damaged interpersonal relationships, and co-morbid psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression. Today, using advanced neuroimaging technology it has been made clear that overuse of the internet and internet games lead to changes in brain function and structure that is similar to the changes occur in the brain of drug-dependent individuals. Reward circuits, craving, decision making, and memory areas in the brain have been investigated to explain the mechanisms of internet addiction and Internet Gaming Disorder. Several neuroimaging studies have been reviewed in this report that may improve the perception of the biological pathology of internet addiction and Internet Gaming Disorder.