1Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
2Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
J Behav Addict. 2024 Mar 8;13(1):236-249. doi: 10.1556/2006.2024.00006. Print 2024 Mar 26.
An imbalance between model-based and model-free decision-making systems is a common feature in addictive disorders. However, little is known about whether similar decision-making deficits appear in internet gaming disorder (IGD). This study compared neurocognitive features associated with model-based and model-free systems in IGD and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Participants diagnosed with IGD (n = 22) and AUD (n = 22), and healthy controls (n = 30) performed the two-stage task inside the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. We used computational modeling and hierarchical Bayesian analysis to provide a mechanistic account of their choice behavior. Then, we performed a model-based fMRI analysis and functional connectivity analysis to identify neural correlates of the decision-making processes in each group.
The computational modeling results showed similar levels of model-based behavior in the IGD and AUD groups. However, we observed distinct neural correlates of the model-based reward prediction error (RPE) between the two groups. The IGD group exhibited insula-specific activation associated with model-based RPE, while the AUD group showed prefrontal activation, particularly in the orbitofrontal cortex and superior frontal gyrus. Furthermore, individuals with IGD demonstrated hyper-connectivity between the insula and brain regions in the salience network in the context of model-based RPE.
The findings suggest potential differences in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying model-based behavior in IGD and AUD, albeit shared cognitive features observed in computational modeling analysis. As the first neuroimaging study to compare IGD and AUD in terms of the model-based system, this study provides novel insights into distinct decision-making processes in IGD.
基于模型和非基于模型的决策系统之间的不平衡是成瘾障碍的一个共同特征。然而，关于类似的决策缺陷是否出现在网络成瘾障碍（IGD）中知之甚少。本研究比较了 IGD 和酒精使用障碍（AUD）中与基于模型和非基于模型系统相关的神经认知特征。
在功能磁共振成像（fMRI）扫描仪内，对诊断为 IGD（n=22）和 AUD（n=22）的参与者以及健康对照组（n=30）进行了两阶段任务。我们使用计算建模和分层贝叶斯分析来提供他们选择行为的机制解释。然后，我们进行了基于模型的 fMRI 分析和功能连接分析，以确定每组决策过程的神经相关性。
计算建模结果表明，IGD 和 AUD 组的基于模型的行为水平相似。然而，我们观察到两组之间基于模型的奖励预测误差（RPE）的神经相关性存在明显差异。IGD 组表现出与基于模型的 RPE 相关的岛特异性激活，而 AUD 组则表现出前额叶激活，特别是在眶额皮质和额上回。此外，在基于模型的 RPE 背景下，IGD 个体表现出岛与突显网络中大脑区域之间的超连接性。
这些发现表明，IGD 和 AUD 中基于模型行为的神经生物学机制存在潜在差异，尽管在计算建模分析中观察到了共同的认知特征。作为比较 IGD 和 AUD 基于模型系统的第一项神经影像学研究，本研究为 IGD 中不同的决策过程提供了新的见解。
