A recent JAMA Network Open study investigated the efficacy and underlying neural mechanism of mindfulness meditation (MM) intervention for treating adults with Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Study: Efficacy and Neural Mechanisms of Mindfulness Meditation Among Adults With Internet Gaming Disorder . Image Credit: sezer66 / Shutterstock IGD is associated with multiple health and mental issues, including emotion dysregulation, neurocognitive impairment, executive dysfunction, and physical problems.
Several studies have highlighted that changes in neural features, such as altered activation of frontal brain regions, influence IGD. Strong cravings experienced by individuals with IGD have been associated with changes in the frontal brain regions, namely the orbitofrontal cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal. Furthermore, changes in connectivity among brain regions linked with reward processing and executive control have also been observed in individuals with IGD.
To date, not many treatments are available to alleviate the behavioral, pharmacologic, and neuromodulatory domains of IGD. Even though some of the available treatments have successfully decreased gaming cravings or reduced gaming time, there has been a high gaming recurrence when the treatment was stopped. Research on substance use has indicated that cravings after cessation are the leading cause of relapse.
Although games have also been used for educational purposes to promote learning, they could also induce cravings .
