The alteration of dorsal attention network in internet gaming disorder and tobacco use disorder: an independent component analysis

Previous studies have shown that individuals with internet gaming disorder (IGD) and tobacco use disorder (TUD) represent nonsubstance and substance-related addictions, respectively. Identifying neuroimaging differences is essential for detecting and intervening in these disorders. 44 IGD participants, 73 TUD participants, and 33 healthy controls (HCs) were scanned with resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI). We used independent component analysis (ICA) to identify regions of interest and compared the functional connectivity between groups using a false discovery rate correction. Rs-fMRI revealed increased functional connectivity in the precuneus cortex, left postcentral gyrus, and right superior frontal gyrus in the dorsal attention network (DAN) in the IGD group in contrast to HC group. In the TUD group, increased functional connectivity was observed in the superior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor cortex, right precentral gyrus, cingulate gyrus, anterior division, postcentral gyrus, thalamus r, and thalamus I. In contrast, decreased functional connectivity was observed in the right lateral occipital cortex (the inferior and superior division), right occipital fusiform gyrus, and the right occipital pole. Our results indicate distinct alterations in the DAN associated with IGD and TUD, suggesting divergent mechanisms in behavioral versus substance-related addictions.