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. 2025 May 13;14(2):776-792.
doi: 10.1556/2006.2025.00036. Print 2025 Jul 2.

Altered dynamic reconfiguration of brain functional networks during gaming and deprivation in individuals with internet gaming disorder

Zhengjie Zhang  1   2   3   4 , Min Wang  1   2   3 , Guangteng Meng  5   6 , Yanyan Qi  7 , Lingxiao Wang  1   2   3 , Guang-Heng Dong  8
Affiliations

Altered dynamic reconfiguration of brain functional networks during gaming and deprivation in individuals with internet gaming disorder

Zhengjie Zhang et al. J Behav Addict. .

Abstract

Background and aims: Based on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, this study aimed to identify dynamic reconfiguration of the basal ganglia network (BGN), limbic network (LN) and frontal-parietal network (FPN) in individuals with internet gaming disorder (IGD) during a real gaming situation. This approach overcomes the indirectness of experimental task situations in previous studies, providing direct evidence for the underlying neural basis of IGD.

Methods: Thirty gamers with IGD and 37 gamers with recreational game use (RGU) were scanned during online gaming and immediate deprivation. Two coefficients (recruitment and integration) were calculated using community structure, an emerging method, to represent individual functional segregation and integration of brain networks over time, respectively.

Results: The IGD group showed greater recruitment of BGN and LN after deprivation of gaming, and greater integration between the inferior frontal gyrus in the FPN and BGN and between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the FPN and LN during deprivation. In contrast, the RGU group exhibited lower recruitment of BGN during deprivation than during gaming, stable recruitment of LN and stable integration between nodes in the FPN and BGN.

Conclusions: Gamers with RGU always maintain stable cognitive control and emotional regulation and could drop cravings/anticipation for continuing gaming after being interrupted gaming. However, gamers with IGD have stronger craving/anticipation and emotional responses after being interrupted gaming and insufficient control over cravings/anticipation and emotions. These findings help directly explain why gamers with IGD are addicted to gaming, despite having similar gaming experiences to those of gamers with RGU.

Keywords: basal ganglia network; dynamic reconfiguration; frontal-parietal network; internet gaming disorder; real gaming; recreational game use.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
The whole analytical pipeline of this study Abbreviations: IGD, internet gaming disorder; RGU, recreational game use; BGN, basal ganglia network. *** indicates p < 0.001.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Brain regions included in the BGN, LN and FPN The values indicate the numbers of the brain nodes within the networks and do not have any meaning. Abbreviations: BGN, basal ganglia network; LN, limbic network; FPN, frontal-parietal network; L, left; R, right.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
The recruitments of the BGN and its nodes (A) Post-hoc results for the recruitment of the BGN. (B) The change in the recruitment of the BGN from gaming to deprivation (recruitment deprivation - recruitment gaming) showed a significant positive correlation with addiction severity (IAT and DSM-5 scores) among all the participants. (C) Post-hoc results for the recruitment of the node “right caudate” in the BGN. (D) Post-hoc results for the recruitment of the node “left caudate” in the BGN. Abbreviations: IGD, internet gaming disorder; RGU, recreational game use; BGN, basal ganglia network; L, left; R, right; IAT, internet addiction test; DSM-5, the fifth edition of diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. * indicates p < 0.05; ** indicates p < 0.01; *** indicates p < 0.001.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
The recruitments of the LN and its nodes (A) Post-hoc results for the recruitment of the LN. (B) The change in the recruitment of the LN from gaming to deprivation (recruitment deprivation - recruitment gaming) were significantly positively correlated with addiction severity (IAT and DSM-5 scores) among all the participants. (C) Post-hoc results for the recruitment of the node “left insula” in the LN. (D) Post-hoc results for the recruitment of the node “right ACC” in the LN. Abbreviations: IGD, internet gaming disorder; RGU, recreational game use; LN, limbic network; L, left; R, right; IAT, internet addiction test; DSM-5, the fifth edition of diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders; ACC, anterior cingulate cortex. * indicates p < 0.05; *** indicates p < 0.001.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
The integrations of the nodes in the FPN with BGN (A) Post-hoc results for the integration between the node “left IFG” in the FPN and BGN. (B) The change in this integration from gaming to deprivation (integration deprivation - integration gaming) showed a significant positive correlation with addiction severity (IAT scores) among all the participants. Abbreviations: IGD, internet gaming disorder; RGU, recreational game use; IFG, inferior frontal gyrus; L, left; R, right; FPN, frontal-parietal network; BGN, basal ganglia network; IAT, internet addiction test. * indicates p < 0.05.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
The integrations of the nodes in the FPN with LN (A) Post-hoc results for the integration between the node “right DLPFC” in the FPN and LN. (B) Post-hoc results for the integration between the node “left IFG” in the FPN and LN. (C) Changes in these two integrations from gaming to deprivation (integration deprivation - integration gaming) were significantly positively correlated with addiction severity (IAT and DSM-5 scores) among all the participants. Abbreviations: IGD, internet gaming disorder; RGU, recreational game use; DLPFC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; L, left; R, right; FPN, frontal-parietal network; LN, limbic network; IFG, inferior frontal gyrus; IAT, internet addiction test; DSM-5, the fifth edition of diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. * indicates p < 0.05; ** indicates p < 0.01.
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