Internet addiction: Neuroimaging findings

Abstract

The Internet has so radically changed the way we conduct our lives for a long time. However, maladaptive use of the internet has resulted in impairment of the individual's psychological well-being, academic failure and reduced work performance. While not yet officially codified within a psychopathological framework, Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is growing both in prevalence and within the public consciousness as a potentially problematic condition with many parallels to existing recognized disorders. Neuroimaging is a noninvasive way to reveal altered regional cerebral activity and structural changes. As there has been a recent rise in IAD, here, we review some of the neuroimaging IAD studies and discuss these findings.