Research shows online game addiction reduces brain functions

Research showed that online game addiction reduces brain functions.

Choi Jeong-seok, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Samsung Medical Center, and his team on January 4 published the results of their examination and analysis of the brains of patients who received treatment for online game addiction in the international academic journal “Journal of Behavioral Addictions.”

The researchers compared 26 patients aged 18 to 39 who played games more than four hours a day and more than 30 hours a week and received online game addiction treatment, and a control group of 25 people who played games less than two hours a day.

Gaming has become more than just a hobby, but a cultural industry. However, some are concerned about the health consequences caused by excessive immersion in games. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) assigned an official disease code to "gaming disorder" and debates continue as Korea plans to introduce the disease code by 2025.

The researchers conducted both functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), depending on the nature of tests, to see if structural changes actually appear in the brains addicted to games. Functional MRI measures brain activity by detecting changes related to blood flow. Event-related potential electroencephalography records the brain's electrical response to specific stimuli from the scalp, which is the surface of the head.

The researchers performed a functional MRI test while the subjects were awake but at rest, not thinking about anything in particular. An EEG test was performed by pressing a button in response to stimuli heard through earphones. By combining the two tests, each of which has its own limitations, the researchers improved accuracy, the hospital said.

The researchers comprehensively observed changes in blood flow and brain waves depending on the activity of various regions of the brain. Through this, they examined whether there is a dysfunction in the brain and also looked into areas where such disorders occurred.

The functional MRI test showed that the functions of hippocampus and amygdala were weakened in patients who were undergoing treatment for game addiction. The researchers interpreted that the accumulation of online game habits also affected the memory of emotions, which in turn increased the craving response for games.

In addition, changes in activity were observed in the cortex of various brain regions such as the temporal and occipital lobes, which were confirmed to have also interacted with the EEG test response. The researchers said this suggests that the areas responsible for cognitive processing became inefficiently active, which in turn led to a decline in brain function.

Professor Choi said, "Through this study, we have confirmed that addiction to games affects actual brain cognitive function and emotional processing ability," adding, "As game addiction affects actual brain function, I hope people enjoy games as a healthy hobby instead of excessively indulging in them."

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.