Internet addiction syndrome may be associated with an abnormal structure of the brain's white matter , that is, the set of fibers that occupies almost half of our thinking organ, according to an article published in the journal PLoS ONE . This change in the structures could be related to behavioral alterations.
Previous studies on Internet Addiction Syndrome (IAD), characterized by an individual's inability to control their own use of the Internet, focused on psychological questionnaires. This is the first study that provides a visible test, through magnetic resonance imaging, to identify the anatomical modifications that the disorder causes in the brain.
The researchers, led by Hao Lei, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, based their work on neuroimaging of the brains of twelve adolescents suffering from this pathology. Thus, they demonstrated that there is an alteration in the white matter fibers that connect brain regions involved in the formation and processing of emotions, attention and decision-making . According to the scientists, it is likely that this syndrome shares neurological mechanisms with other types of substance addictions and disorders that affect impulse control.
