A new study has found that internet gaming disorder (IGD) affects men's and women’s brains differently, and has an important relationship with poor impulse control in men.

Images show amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) results. (Source: Radiological Society of North America)

IGD is compulsive playing of online games to the point that it affects the player’s other interests and personal life.

The researchers conducted a study using resting-state fMRI to observe the differences in the brains of men and women with IGD. The participants were 32 men and 32 women with IGD. Thirty healthy men and 22 healthy women, all the same ages as the IGD participants, acted as the control. The study looked at the relationships of brain activity and how the participants scored on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11, which assess a person’s behavioral inhibition. Resting-state fMRI allowed the researchers to look at the brain activity of participants when they are not focused on a single task.

The results found that men with IGD had differences in regional and network-level brain function. It showed lower brain activity in the superior frontal gyrus, part of the prefrontal lobe that influences impulse control. The women in the study didn’t have any of the same brain variances. The researchers believe that IGD may have gender-specific patterns, as areas of the brain mature differently in men and women. For example, the prefrontal cortex matures later in men, which could be a factor into why IGD effects this area in men and not women.

"Internet use is an integral part of the daily lives of many young adults, and a loss of control over Internet use could lead to various negative effects," said the study's senior author, Yawen Sun, M.D., diagnostic radiologist at the department of radiology of Ren Ji Hospital, affiliated with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, China. "Internet gaming disorder has become a major public health concern worldwide among both adolescents and young adults.

"Men have shown lower levels of impulse control in comparison with women, and their impulse control also increases more gradually," she added. "Given the role of inhibitory control in the initiation of IGD, young men may tend to experiment with pathological Internet use to a greater degree than young women do."

Gaming that falls under IGD includes online gaming, social gaming, mobile gaming and multiplayer gaming. Gaming generates billions every year in the U.S. alone, and 162 million Americans live with a gaming console in their home. IGD was added to the DSM-5 in 2013 and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of diseases in 2017. IGD effects the player’s home, school or work lives because of how preoccupied they are by the activity. IGD sufferers can experience withdrawal symptoms as well.

Studies have been done on how excessive screen time affects children’s brains, but children are not the only people negatively affected by gaming. Another recent study found that the game Fortnite is behind multiple divorce filings in the U.K.

"However, it remains unclear whether the brain functional and structural changes found in IGD are gaming-induced or precursors for vulnerability," Dr. Sun said. "I think future research should focus on using functional MRI to identify brain susceptibility factors relating to the development of IGD."

The findings will be presented at the 104th meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).