Higher striatal glutamate in male youth with internet gaming disorder

This study ’s aim was to investigate striatal glutamate in youth with IGD compared to healthy controls (HC). Using a cross-sectional design, 25 adolescent male subjects fulfilling DSM-5 criteria for IGD and 26 HC, matched in age, education, handedness and smoking, were included in the analysis. A structural MPRAGE T1 sequence followed by a single-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy MEGA-PRESS sequence (TR = 1500 ms, TE = 68 ms, 208 averages) with a voxel size of 20 mm3 were recorded on 3  T Siemens Magnetom Prisma scanner. The voxel was placed in the left striatum. Group comparison of the relative glutamate and glutamine (Glx) was calculated using regression analysis. IGD subjects met an average of 6.5 of 9 DSM-5 IGD criteria and reported an average of 29 h of weekly gaming. Regre ssion analysis showed a significant group effect for Glx, with higher Glx levels in IGD as compared to HC (coef. = .086,t (50)  = 2.17,p = .035). Our study is the first to show higher levels of Glx in the striatum in youth with IGD. The elevation of Glx in the striatum may indicate hyperactivation of the reward system in IGD. Thus, results confirm that neurochemical alterations can be identified in early stages of behavioral add ictions.
Source: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research