Blunted feedback processing during risk-taking in adolescents with features of problematic Internet use

• Published in: Addictive behaviors Vol. 45; pp. 156 - 163
• Main Authors: Yau, Yvonne H.C., Potenza, Marc N., Mayes, Linda C., Crowley, Michael J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2015; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Behavior, Addictive - physiopathology; Child; Electroencephalography; Event-Related Potentials, P300 - physiology; Evoked Potentials - physiology; Feedback; Feedback processing; Feedback-related negativity; Female; Humans; Impulsive Behavior - physiology; Internet; Male; P300; Problematic Internet use; Psychiatry; Punishment; Reward; Risk; Risk-Taking; Teenagers; Young Adult; ACC; OAR; FRN; P300; ERPs; ARPIU; SUDs; Feedback processing; UPPS; Feedback-related negativity; Problematic Internet use; PIU; BART; UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale; Anterior cingulate cortex; Event-related potentials; Substance use disorders; At-risk problematic Internet use; Balloon Analogue Risk Task; Ocular artifact removal
• ISSN: 0306-4603; 1873-6327; 1873-6327
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.01.008

While the conceptualization of problematic Internet use (PIU) as a “behavioral addiction” resembling substance-use disorders is debated, the neurobiological underpinnings of PIU remain understudied. This study examined whether adolescents displaying features of PIU (at-risk PIU; ARPIU) are more impulsive and exhibit blunted responding in the neural mechanisms underlying feedback processing and outcome evaluation during risk-taking. Event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by positive (i.e. reward) and negative (i.e. loss) feedback were recorded during performance on a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) among ARPIU (n=39) and non-ARPIU subjects (n=27). Compared to non-ARPIU, ARPIU adolescents displayed higher levels of urgency and lack of perseverance on the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale. Although no between-group difference in BART performance was observed, ERPs demonstrated overall decreased sensitivity to feedback in ARPIU compared to non-ARPIU adolescents, as indexed by blunted feedback-related negativity (FRN) and P300 amplitudes to both negative and positive feedback. The present study provides evidence for feedback processing during risk-taking as a neural correlate of ARPIU. Given recent concerns regarding the growing prevalence of PIU as a health concern, future work should examine the extent to which feedback processing may represent a risk factor for PIU, a consequence of PIU, or possibly both. •Examined relationship between ARPIU and ERPs related to feedback evaluation•Attenuated ERP amplitudes among ARPIU adolescents during behavioral risk-task•Attenuated ERP amplitudes suggest decreased sensitivity to feedback.•Feedback-related ERPs (specifically FRN and P300) may serve as biomarkers for PIU.