A study in China found that altered brain activity in the left precuneus mediates the association between childhood trauma and heightened aggression in adolescents with internet gaming disorder. The paper was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Internet gaming disorder is a behavioral addiction characterized by excessive and compulsive use of online games, leading to significant impairment in personal, social, educational, or occupational functioning. Individuals with this disorder tend to lose control over their gaming habits, prioritizing games over real-life obligations and relationships. They may experience withdrawal symptoms such as irritability or anxiety when unable to play.
The disorder is associated with preoccupation with gaming, tolerance (needing to play longer to feel satisfied), and unsuccessful attempts to reduce playtime. It frequently co-occurs with depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit problems. Neurologically, excessive gaming can activate the brain’s reward pathways similarly to substance addictions. Adolescents and young adults are considered particularly vulnerable populations for this disorder.
Study author Shijie Chen and his colleagues wanted to explore the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the impact of childhood trauma on aggression in adolescents with internet gaming disorder. They note that children who have suffered childhood abuse are at an increased risk of developing internet gaming disorder as they may resort to gaming as a means of escaping their pain and trauma.
Previous studies indicate that both childhood trauma and internet gaming disorder are associated with dysregulation in brain regions involved in emotion regulation and impulse control. They are also associated with an increased likelihood of aggressive behaviors. Because of this, it is possible that a specific type of brain activity or a specific brain region is responsible for this association.
Study participants were 111 individuals between 10 and 18 years of age. 31 of them suffered from internet gaming disorder but had no history of childhood trauma. 43 had both internet gaming disorder and a history of childhood trauma, while 37 were healthy youths who served as controls.
Study participants completed an assessment of internet addiction (the Internet Addiction Test) and a structured clinical interview to determine whether they met the criteria for internet gaming disorder. Participants also completed assessments of childhood trauma experiences (the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short Form), aggressive behavior (the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire), and underwent magnetic resonance imaging of their brains.
The key finding emerged when comparing the two groups with internet gaming disorder. The group without a history of trauma showed significantly lower spontaneous brain activity (measured as fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation) in the left precuneus compared to the group with a history of trauma. Furthermore, higher levels of childhood trauma were correlated with higher activity in the left precuneus. In turn, this higher activity in the left precuneus was correlated with higher levels of reactive aggression (i.e., impulsive, ‘hot-headed’ aggression).
“Our study identifies the left precuneus as a critical neural region where childhood trauma uniquely impacts aggression in adolescents with IGD [internet gaming disorder]. The findings highlight the necessity for targeted interventions in IGD with trauma histories, providing potential avenues to reduce aggression in at-risk adolescents affected by both trauma and gaming addiction,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the neural underpinnings of aggression, particularly aggression related to internet gaming disorder. However, the study design does not allow any definitive causal inferences to be derived from the results. Also, childhood trauma and aggression were assessed using self-report measures, which are susceptible to reporting bias.
The paper, “Altered brain activity mediates the correlation between childhood trauma and aggression in youths with internet gaming disorder,” was authored by Shijie Chen, Hongwei Wen, Yuhong Zhou, Yuejiao Zhang, and Xuemei Gao.