Concurrent behavioral modelling and multimodal neuroimaging reveals how feedback affects decision making in internet gaming disorder

Abstract

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) raises questions on how feedback from the previous gaming round affects the risk-taking behavior in the subsequent round. Forty-two participants underwent a sequential risk-taking task, which was measured be behavioral modeling. Concurrent electroencephalogram and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (EEG-fNIRS) recordings were performed to demonstrate when, where and how the previous-round feedback affects the decision making to the next round. We discovered that the IGD illustrated heightened risk-taking propensity as compared to the HCs, indicating by the computational modeling (p = 0.028). EEG results also showed significant time window differences in univariate and multivariate pattern analysis between the IGD and HCs after the loss of the game. Further, reduced brain activation in the prefrontal cortex during the task was detected in IGD as compared to that of the control group. Risky decision-making in IGD might be due to the complex interplay between emotional response and other cognitive factors.