ReviewA cognitive-behavioral model of Internet gaming disorder: Theoretical underpinnings and clinical implications
Section snippets
Background
Internet addiction disorder (IAD) or problematic Internet use has been proposed as a diagnostic entity and studied for more than a decade; however, there has been debate regarding a standardized definition for such a disorder. Although no formal diagnostic criteria for a psychiatric condition characterized by excessive and interfering patterns of Internet use were included in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) (Block, 2008, Shaw and Black, 2008, Liu et al., 2011
A cognitive-behavioral model of IGD
A central component of addictions involves reward-seeking (Potenza, 2013). Reward-centric models have focused on pleasurable aspects of drug-taking with the notion that drugs may “hijack” brain reward circuits (Volkow and Li, 2004, Nestler, 2005). The incentive salience model of drug addiction proposes that “liking” a drug may be separated from “wanting” the drug (Berridge, 2007). A “reward deficiency syndrome” model posits that addicted individuals engage in addictive behaviors to compensate
Clinical implications
Several categories of behavioral interventions have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of gambling and/or drug addictions through randomized controlled trials (Potenza et al., 2011): 1) brief and motivational interventions, which may alter decision-making processes to focus on more future-oriented goals (Burke et al., 2003); 2) contingency management, which provides immediate reinforcement to promote abstinence (Dutra et al., 2008); and, 3) cognitive behavioral therapies, which emphasize
Conclusions
Recent studies suggest neurocognitive differences in individuals with and without IGD. IGD shares multiple features with drug addictions including elevated impulsivity, cognitive inflexibility, and attentional biases. However, the extent to which these may represent pre-existing factors predisposing to IGD or factors that may develop following excessive Internet gaming, or perhaps a combination of both, is not yet known. Although data from studies of substance addictions suggest the last
Role of the funding source
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Contributors
Guangheng Dong wrote the first draft of the manuscript, Marc Potenza revised and improved the manuscript. All authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript.
Competing interests
The authors declared that no competing interests exist.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31371023). National Institutes of Health (R01 DA035058, P50 DA09241, P20 DA027844), the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addictive Services, and the National Center for Responsible Gaming.
Dr. Potenza has received financial support or compensation for the following: Dr. Potenza has consulted for and advised Lundbeck, Ironwood ad Shire; has received research support from the National Institutes of Health,
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