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. 2017 Nov 30;15(4):361-368.
doi: 10.9758/cpn.2017.15.4.361.

Comparing the Effects of Bupropion and Escitalopram on Excessive Internet Game Play in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Beomwoo Nam  1 , Sujin Bae  2 , Sun Mi Kim  3 , Ji Seon Hong  3 , Doug Hyun Han  3
Affiliations

Comparing the Effects of Bupropion and Escitalopram on Excessive Internet Game Play in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Beomwoo Nam et al. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. .

Abstract

Objective: Several studies have suggested the efficacy of bupropion and escitalopram on reducing the excessive internet game play. We hypothesized that both bupropion and escitalopram would be effective on reducing the severity of depressive symptoms and internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms in patients with both major depressive disorder and IGD. However, the changes in brain connectivity between the default mode network (DMN) and the salience network were different between bupropion and escitalopram due to their different pharmacodynamics.

Methods: This study was designed as a 12-week double blind prospective trial. Thirty patients were recruited for this research (15 bupropion group+15 escitalopram group). To assess the differential functional connectivity (FC) between the hubs of the DMN and the salience network, we selected 12 regions from the automated anatomical labeling in PickAtals software.

Results: After drug treatment, the depressive symptoms and IGD symptoms in both groups were improved. Impulsivity and attentional symptoms in the bupropion group were significantly decreased, compared to the escitalopram group. After treatment, FC within only the DMN in escitalopram decreased while FC between DMN and salience network in bupropion group decreased. Bupropion was associated with significantly decreased FC within the salience network and between the salience network and the DMN, compared to escitalopram.

Conclusion: Bupropion showed greater effects than escitalopram on reducing impulsivity and attentional symptoms. Decreased brain connectivity between the salience network and the DMN appears to be associated with improved excessive IGD symptoms and impulsivity in MDD patients with IGD.

Keywords: Bupropion; Citalopram; Functional magnetic resonance imaging.; Internet; Major depressive disorder; video games.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Changes in functional correlations after 12 week treatment. Lt, left; Rt, right; mPFC, middle prefrontal cortex; dACC, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex; PCC, posterior cingulate cortex; PCx, parietal cortex; PCue, precuneus.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Comparison of functional correlations between bupropion and escitalopram. Lt, left; Rt, right; mPFC, middle prefrontal cortex; dACC, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex; PCC, posterior cingulate cortex; PCx, parietal cortex; PCue, precuneus.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Correlations between the changes in clinical symptoms and functional correlations. (A) The correlation between the changes in Young Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS) scores and functional correlations from right dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) and the left insular, r=0.40, p=0.03. (B) The correlation between the changes in Behavioral Inhibition and Activation Scales (BIS-BAS) scores and functional correlations from right dACC and the left insular, r=0.66, p<0.01.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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