Craving of drug addicts for drugs is the most important factor that causes relapse. On-line, objective and quantificational measurement of craving is of certain value in predicting relapse and drug-seeking behavior of addicts. Some common methods used to measure craving are reviewed and their shortcomings are analyzed. Aiming at characteristics, analysis methods, typical application of electroencephalography (EEG) and characteristics of craving, we have a discussion about the possibility of using EEG to measure craving. In addition, some related problems and difficulties are probed. These analyses are helpful to the study of craving.
Behavior, Addictive ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Self Disclosure ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; diagnosis

In our technology-savvy population, mental health professionals are seeing an increasing trend of excessive Internet use or Internet addiction. Researchers in China, Taiwan and Korea have done extensive research in the field of Internet addiction. Screening instruments are available to identify the presence of Internet addiction and its extent. Internet addiction is frequently associated with mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, conduct disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Treatment modalities include individual and group therapies, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), family therapy and psychotropic medications. A significant proportion of Singapore adolescents engaging in excessive Internet use are also diagnosed to have concomitant Internet addiction. Despite the presence of a variety of treatment options, future research in this area is needed to address its growing trend and to minimise its negative psychological and social impact on the individuals and their families.
Adolescent ; Behavior, Addictive ; epidemiology ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; Male

No abstract available.
Alcohol-Related Disorders/physiopathology ; Behavior, Addictive/*physiopathology ; Brain/physiopathology/radiography ; Humans ; Internet ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Ventral Tegmental Area/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with psychological interference on abstinence symptom such as network craving and anxiety in internet addiction disorder (IAD) and explore its mechanism.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty cases of IAD were randomly divided into EA group, psychotherapy group and EA plus psychotherapy group (combined therapy group). In EA group, Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Hegu (LI 4), Neiguan (PC 6), Taichong (LR 3) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) were selected in EA, once every 2 days, for 20 sessions totally. In psychotherapy group, the cognition and behavior therapy was applied, once every 4 days, for 10 sessions totally. In combined therapy group, EA combined with psychological interference was administered. The changes in IAD self-scale table, network craving scale, ZUNG self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and S spectrum of encephalofluctuogram (ET) were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the results of IAD self-scale table, network craving scale and ZUNG SAS in combined therapy group were reduced significantly as compared with those before treatment (all P < 0.01) and the score of IAD self-scale table was lower significantly as compared with EA group and psychotherapy group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), and the score of network craving scale was lower than that in psychotherapy group (P < 0.01). S11 spectrum in combined therapy group decreased significantly as compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05) and was lower significantly as compared with psychotherapy group and EA group (both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture combined with psychological interference can reduce network craving and anxiety of IAD patients and its mechanism is probably related with the decrease of dopamine content in central system.

Acupuncture Points ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Behavior, Addictive ; physiopathology ; psychology ; therapy ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Child ; Electroacupuncture ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; Male ; Young Adult

This investigation was made on the characteristic of the N400 event-related potentials in excessive internet users by analyzing the N400 difference between the excessive internet users (trial team) and normal subjects (control team); the aim was to provide a theoretic basis for the diagnosis and treatment of excessive internet users. Ten right-handed excessive internet users and ten healthy right-handed volunteers aged 20 to 25 years were recruited to attend the experimentation of single Chinese character with semantically matching or mismatching ending strokes. The N400 displayed obvious difference between the excessive internet users and normal subjects when they were confronted with mis-matching ending strokes of single simple Chinese character. The N400 amplitude of the trial team was significantly lower than that of the control team (P<0.05), and the N400 latency of the trial team was significantly earlier than that of the control team (P<0.05). In addition, the distribution of the N400 in the brain was more wide-spread in the control team than in the trial team. These results showed there was significant difference in N400 between the excessive internet users and the normal subjects.
Behavior, Addictive ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Electroencephalography ; methods ; Evoked Potentials ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; utilization ; Male ; Psychomotor Performance ; physiology ; Young Adult

At present, young people's internet addiction has become a serious social problem and on important concern in China. Comparison studies of auditory event-related potential (ERP) between 9 excessive internet users and 9 common internet users were carried out. The obvious influences of excessive internet use on the users were observed. The result suggests that excessive internet use may have some influences on cerebral cognitive function.
Attitude to Computers ; Behavior, Addictive ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Event-Related Potentials, P300 ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory ; Humans ; Internet ; Male ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDInternet addition disorder (IAD) is currently becoming a serious mental health problem among Chinese adolescents. The pathogenesis of IAD, however, remains unclear. The purpose of this study applied regional homogeneity (ReHo) method to analyze encephalic functional characteristic of IAD college students under resting state.

METHODSFunctional magnetic resonanc image (fMRI) was performed in 19 IAD college students and 19 controls under resting state. ReHo method was used to analyze the differences between the average ReHo in two groups.

RESULTSThe following increased ReHo brain regions were found in IAD group compared with control group: cerebellum, brainstem, right cingulate gyrus, bilateral parahippocampus, right frontal lobe (rectal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus), left superior frontal gyrus, left precuneus, right postcentral gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, right inferior temporal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus. The decreased ReHo brain regions were not found in the IAD group compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONSThere are abnormalities in regional homogeneity in IAD college students compared with the controls and enhancement of synchronization in most encephalic regions can be found. The results reflect the functional change of brain in IAD college students. The connections between the enhancement of synchronization among cerebellum, brainstem, limbic lobe, frontal lobe and apical lobe may be relative to reward pathways.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Behavior, Addictive ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the functional locations of brain regions related to internet addiction (IA)with task-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS: Nineteen college students who had internet game addition and 19 controls accepted the stimuli of videos via computer. The 3.0 Tesla MRI was used to record the Results of echo plannar imaging. The block design method was used. Intragroup and intergroup analysis Results in the 2 groups were obtained. The differences between the 2 groups were analyzed. RESULTS: The internet game videos markedly activated the brain regions of the college students who had or had no internet game addiction. Compared with the control group, the IA group showed increased activation in the right superior parietal lobule, right insular lobe, right precuneus, right cingulated gyrus, and right superior temporal gyrus. CONCLUSION Internet game tasks can activate the vision, space, attention and execution center which are composed of temporal occipital gyrus and frontal parietal gyrus. Abnormal brain function and lateral activation of the right brain may exist in IA.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Behavior, Addictive ; physiopathology ; Brain ; physiology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Students ; psychology ; Universities ; Video Games ; psychology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of comprehensive therapy (CT) with electroacupuncture (EA) in combination with psycho-intervention (PI) on the cognitive function and event-related potentials (ERP), P300 and mismatch negativity (MMN), in patients with internet addiction (IA) for a preliminary exploration of the possible mechanism of the therapy.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty patients with IA were randomly divided into three groups, and a total of 112 subjects reached the final analysis of the trial, the EA group (39 patients), the PI group (36 patients) and the CT group (37 patients). EA was applied at acupoints Baihui (GV20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Hegu (LI4), Neiguan (PC6), Taichong (LR3) and Sanyinjiao (SP6), once every other day; PI with the cognitionbehavior mode was implemented every 4 days; both EA and PI were used in the CT group. The treatment course for all patients was 40 days. Changes before and after treatment in terms of scoring by the IA self-rating scale, short-term memory capacity, short-term memory span, and the latency and amplitude of P300 and MMN in patients were observed.

RESULTSAfter treatment, in all groups, the IA score was lowered significantly (P <0.05) and scores of short-term memory capacity and short-term memory span increased significantly (P <0.05), while the decreased IA score in the CT group was more significant than that in the other two groups (P <0.05). ERP measurements showed that P300 latency was depressed and its amplitude raised in the EA group; MMN amplitude increased in the CT group (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe EA in combination with PI could improve the cognitive function of IA patients, and its mechanism might be related to the speedup of cerebral discrimination on external stimulus and the enhancement of effective resource mobilization during information processing of the brain.

Behavior, Addictive ; physiopathology ; psychology ; therapy ; Cognition ; physiology ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; methods ; Event-Related Potentials, P300 ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; Latency Period (Psychology) ; Male ; Memory, Short-Term ; physiology ; Patient Dropouts ; Young Adult