Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (대한소아청소년정신의학회)
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Brain Neuroadaptative Changes in Adolescents with Internet Addiction : An FDG-PET Study with Statistical Parametric Mapping Analysis

  • Koo, Young-Jin (Department of Neuropsychiatry, Eulji University School of Medicine) ;
  • Paeng, Jin-Chul (Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Joo, Eun-Jeong (Department of Neuropsychiatry, Eulji University School of Medicine) ;
  • Kang, Hye-Jin (Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Im, Youn-Seok (Department of Nuclear Medicine, Eulji General Hospital) ;
  • Seok, Ju-Won (Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital) ;
  • Kang, Ung-Gu (Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine)
  • Published : 2008.02.28
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Abstract

Objectives : Internet addiction or pathologic internet use is one of the major mental health problems in children and adolescents in Korea. Internet addiction is defined as uncontrollable, markedly time-consuming internet use, which lasts for a period of at least six months. Internet addiction results in poor academic performance and negative parent-child relationships. By using $^{18}F$-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), we investigated the effects of internet addiction on functional changes occurring in the adolescent brain. Methods : Adolescent patients with an internet addiction (4 boys and 2 girls; $15.6{\pm}1.2$ years) participated in this study. Eight healthy young adults (5 males and 3 females; 18-30 years old) with no previous history of psychiatric illness also participated as normal controls. Brain FDG-PET data was obtained with the participants in the resting condition and with no addictive stimuli. Results : Statistic parametric mapping analysis of the brain FDG-PET data revealed hypometabolic changes in the visual information processing circuits and hypermetabolic changes in the prefrontal areas in the adolescents with internet addiction, as compared with normal controls (p<.001). Conclusion : These results suggest a neuronal adaptation to excessive visual stimulation and synaptic plasticity due to internet addiction.

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