Internet Game Overuser and Disembodiment : Neural Correlates as Revealed by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

인터넷 게임 과다사용자와 탈신체화 : 기능적 뇌자기공명영상을 이용한신경 상관물

  • Oh, Jong-Hyun (Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University) ;
  • Son, Jung-Woo (Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University) ;
  • Kim, Ji-Eun (Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University) ;
  • Shin, Yong-Wook (Department of Psychiatry, Asan Medical Center)
  • 오종현 (충북대학교 의과대학 정신건강의학교실) ;
  • 손정우 (충북대학교 의과대학 정신건강의학교실) ;
  • 김지은 (충북대학교 의과대학 정신건강의학교실) ;
  • 신용욱 (서울아산병원 정신건강의학과)
  • Received : 2014.03.18
  • Accepted : 2014.04.22
  • Published : 2014.05.28

Abstract

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference of brain activity between internet game overusers in adulthood and normal adults in a state of disembodiment. Methods The fMRI images were taken while the internet game overuser group (n = 14) and the control group (n = 15) were asked to perform the task composed of ball-throwing animations. The task reflected on either self-agency about ball-throwing or location of a ball. And each block was shown with either different (changing viewpoint) or same animations (fixed viewpoint). The disembodiment-related condition was the interaction between agency task and changing viewpoint. Results 1) In within-group analyses, the control group exhibited higher brain activation in the left precentral gyrus, the left inferior frontal gyrus, and the left insula. And the overuser group exhibited higher activation in the right cuneus, the left posterior middle occipital gyrus, and the left parahippocampal gyrus. 2) In between-group analyses, the control group exhibited higher activation in the right posterior superior temporal gyrus. And the overuser group exhibited higher activation in the left cuneus, and the left posterior middle occipital area. Conclusions These results show that the disembodiment-related brain activation of internet game overusers in adulthood is different from that of normal adults.

Keywords

References

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