Gene mutation can favor internet addiction

Mutations responsible for Internet addiction

08/31/2012

Internet addiction has long since ceased to be one of the peripheral phenomena of a generation. More and more people are spending their time online, playing online games and only communicating via social networks. When virtual reality determines life, those affected neglect their everyday lives and can no longer do without the Internet, psychologists talk about an addiction. German scientists now identified a gene mutation that might favor internet addiction. Women should therefore be more susceptible to an online addiction.

Mutation for Internet addiction alters brain metabolism
A gene mutation could favor internet addiction. This has now demonstrated for the first time a German research team. According to this, the mutation causes a change in the metabolism of important signaling substances in the brain, making it more susceptible to addictive behavior.

The researchers found that the mutation occurs more frequently in addicts than in people with normal internet use behavior. „It turns out that internet addiction is not a pipe dream, "explains Christian Montag from the Department of Differential and Biological Psychology at the University of Bonn. „It is increasingly becoming the focus of scientists and therapists.“ There are similar to nicotine or alcohol dependence molecular genetic relationships.

The scientists of the University of Bonn and the Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI) in Mannheim write in the journal „Journal of Addiction Medicine "that the mutation could serve as a marker in the future to diagnose Internet addiction, if the results are confirmed in further studies. „If such relationships are better understood, it also provides important clues to better therapies“, explains Monday.

Internet addiction is evident in certain gene regions
Psychologists talk about internet addiction when the person concerned hardly moves outside of virtual reality and his life is characterized by dependency. Hours of web surfing, online games and social networking are among the main activities of Internet addicts. Those affected can not do without the internet anymore. You are not able to limit the time of Internet use or even to renounce it. The addictive behavior is similar to that of alcoholics who can no longer do without alcohol. Social contacts in the real world are hardly taking place and everyday tasks are neglected.

Whether and to what extent biological factors such as altered brain metabolism or genetic mutations are crucial for this has hitherto been unknown, the researchers report. Therefore, they deliberately investigated for their study the differences in the genes of Internet addicts and non-addicts.

First, 843 people were questioned about their internet usage behavior. The researchers found in 132 women and men, a potential addiction with a problematic behavior regarding the Internet. The subjects stated that they were constantly thinking of the Internet in everyday life and that they felt uncomfortable when they had to give up their use. Comparing the genome of the 132 Internet addicts with that of healthy controls, showed that the addicts were significantly more likely to have deviations in a specific gene region, which also has a decisive influence on nicotine addiction.

The researchers write that "it is a mutation in the gene CHRNA4, which leads to a subunit is modified at a docking point for the signal substance acetylcholine in those affected. „From the nicotinergic acetylcholine receptor in the brain, it is known that a mutation on the associated gene promotes addictive behavior“, reports Monday. Both nicotine and human-derived acetylcholine would fit perfectly on this receptor. Both messengers play an important role in activating the reward center in the brain. „This correlation is obviously not only of great importance for nicotine addiction, but also for Internet addiction“, explains the psychologist.

Women are more likely to be affected by the mutation
To the researchers' surprise, the research found that "more women are affected by the mutation than men". The mutation on the CHRNA4 gene alters the genome for the subunit „alpha 4“ at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. „This variant frequently occurs within the group of probands with problematic Internet behavior - especially in women“, reports Monday. However, this needs to be analyzed more closely, as it was previously assumed that men tended to Internet addiction more than women. „Possibly, gender-based genetic findings are due to a particular subset of internet dependency, such as the use of social networks or the like, "says the psychologist.

In general, further studies are needed to shed more light on the relationship between mutation and Internet addiction. „However, the data already show that there are clear indications of the molecular genetic causes of Internet addiction, "explains Montag.

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Image: Dieter Schütz