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CHICAGO, November 28, 2018 / PRNewswire / – Researchers using functional MRI (fMRI) have discovered differences in the brains of men and women addicted to online gambling, according to a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
"The use of the Internet is an integral part of the daily lives of many young adults and a loss of control over its use could have various negative effects," said the principal author of the Internet. ;study, Yawen Sun, M.D., diagnostic radiologist at Radiology Department of Ren Ji Hospital, affiliated with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, China. "Gambling disorders on the Internet have become a major public health concern worldwide, both among adolescents and young adults."
Internet Gambling Disorder (IGD) is a condition characterized by the compulsive gambling of online gambling, to the exclusion of other interests. People suffering from IGD often suffer from a major disability or distress and may experience adverse effects at work, at school or in their relationships due to the time that it takes for them to work. they go to play. They also show withdrawal symptoms when they do not play.
There is some evidence that IGD is more prevalent in men, but there is little research on differences in the structure and function of the brains of men and women with the disorder.
The researchers studied 32 men and 23 women with IGD. They performed fMRI at rest on study participants, as well as 30 healthy male and 22 female controls. The fMRI at rest state allows to visualize the activity of the brain when it is not centered on a particular task. The study examined the relationships between brain activity observed at fMRI and the Barratt Scale 11 scores, a commonly used test for assessing behavioral inhibition.
The results shed light on the main differences between men and women with IGD. Men with IGD presented impairments of brain function at the regional level and the network. In particular, they had lower brain activity in the upper frontal gyrus, an area of the prefrontal lobe of the brain that is important for impulse control. Women with IGD have not presented any of these brain alterations.
"Our results demonstrated that alterations in brain activity are observed in men with IGD, but not in women with IGD, and that lower brain activity in the Upper frontal gyrus in men with IGD may be associated with higher impulsivity, "said Dr. Sun. .
This difference, along with other apparent differences in the study, suggests that IGD may interact with the gender-specific brain function characteristics of men and women.
Different maturation rates in men's and women's brains could also contribute to gender-specific IGD alterations, noted Dr. Sun. For example, the prefrontal cortex, which plays a central role in executive function and inhibition, matures later in humans.
"Men have shown lower levels of impulse control over women, and their control is also increasing more gradually," she said. "Given the role of inhibitory control in the initiation of IGD, young men may have a tendency to experiment more with the use of the pathological Internet than younger women."
A dysfunctional prefrontal cortex, specifically in men with IGD, may be associated with high impulsivity, consistent in part with previous studies of substance abuse. The research adds to an increasing number of publications linking the behavioral problems associated with IGD and those encountered in people with substance abuse problems.
"However, it is not clear whether the functional and structural changes of the brain found in the IGD are induced by gambling or as precursors of vulnerability," said Dr. Sun. "I think future research should focus on the use of functional MRI to identify brain susceptibility factors related to the development of IGD."
Online and online games have increased dramatically in recent decades. It includes social games, mobile games and multiplayer games, which generate billions of dollars of revenue in the United States alone. According to recent polls, there are more than 55 million online console players in the United States. According to data measurement company Nielsen, 162 million people, or about half of the US population, live in a home with a video game console.
The co-authors are Xu Han, M.D., Yao Wang, Weina Ding, Yan Zhou, Ph.D., and Jianrong Xu.
Note: Copies of RSNA 2018 press releases and electronic images will be available online at the following address: RSNA.org/press18 beginning Monday, November 26.
RSNA is an association of more than 54,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and scientists from the same field. It promotes excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research, and technological innovation. The company is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
Editor's Note: The data in these publications may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting as researchers continue to update their data to the meeting. To make sure you are using the latest information, please contact us.
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SOURCE Radiological Society North America (RSNA)
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