The Underlying Mechanisms Of The Approach Bias And Its Modification Among Individuals With Internet Gaming Disorder

For individuals with Internet gaming disorder(IGD),the approach bias of Internet game-related cues is a key factor in the development and maintenance of individuals’addictive behaviors.Therefore,the research on the mechanism and treatment methods of approach bias has important theoretical and practical significance.Previous studies have shown that the craving and cognitive biases of addicted people are usually induced by addiction-related cues,and those with IGD show automated approach biases when confronting with Internet gaming cues.Reverse approach bias modification(ApBM)training can reverse this bias.And achieve the goal of improving the barriers of Internet games.Then,what is the inner neural mechanism of people with online gaming disabilities who tend to be biased toward addiction-related cues?What is the neural mechanism of approaching bias modification training?Are there indicators that can be used as neural markers to predict the effect of approaching bias?In this paper,two studies were conducted to explore the neural mechanism of approach bias and ApBM,as well as to explore the neural markers of the ApBM.In the first study,18 college students with IGD and 18 healthy college students were recruited,then randomly assigned into the IGD group and a healthy control group.Materials in the study are the most representative game equipment pictures and life pictures corresponding to physical properties,as Internet gaming cues and neutral cues respectively.The stimulus-response compatibility task(SRC)and Go-Nogo paradigms are used as the experimental paradigms,N2 and P3 are chosena as neural bio-markers,and the severity of the IGD,anxiety and depression of the participants are investigated,and the neural mechanism of approach biases of the IGD are to be explored.The results showed that people with IGD showed a tendency toward game cues,and their N2 significantly increased when they avoided neutral cues/neutral cues Nogo,and their P3 was significantly increased when they avoided Internet gaming cues/Nogo stimulus.This result shows that the reflective processing ability of the IGD individuals is significantly reduced,and the impulsive processing induced by the Internet gaming cues is hyperactive,this phenomenon is especially obvious for inhibition behaviors.In the second study,36 college students with IGD were selected and randomly assigned into the experimental group and control group.The experimental group received a 6-session ApBM within two weeks,and the control group received corresponding pseudo training.Both before and after the training sessions,the two groups of subjects were required to complete a SRC and a Go-Nogo task as is introduced in Study One,and their ERPs were recorded at the same time.Finally,a total of 14 subjects in the experimental group and 13 control subjects completed the post-test.The results showed that the experimental group’s avoidance/Nogo-N2 when facing Internet gaming cues significantly decreased after ApBM,and the approach/Go-P3 when facing neutral cues significantly increased-This indicates that the cognitive resources needed by IGD individuals to avoid/Nogo responses to Internet gaming cues are reduced;the motivation for neutral stimuli is enhanced,and the abnormal reward processing of the experimental group has been improved.In addition,the decrease in IGD-20 scores of the two groups after the training was significantly positively correlated with the decreases of anxiety and the approach bias toward Internet gaming cues,and was significantly positively correlated with the increase in P3 when approaching neutral cues,which indicates that the approach to neutral cues P3 might serve as a potential neural marker for the effect of ApBM training.To sum up,IGD individuals have a tendency toward Internet gaming cues,the main neural mechanisms are the impaired reflective processing and overactive impulsive processing.ApBM training can improve the deficit of reflective processing and inhibit the impulsive processing.The P3 amplitude of approaching neutral cues may serve as a neural bio-marker of the ApBM effects.