The DOI matches its Crossref record; 156 of the 158 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Prefrontal Control and Internet Addiction: A Theoretical Model and Review of Neuropsychological and Neuroimaging Findings
Open accessAbstract
Most people use the Internet as a functional tool to perform their personal goals in everyday-life such as making airline or hotel reservations. However, some individuals suffer from a loss of control over their Internet use resulting in personal distress, symptoms of psychological dependence, and diverse negative consequences. This phenomenon is often referred to as Internet addiction. Only Internet Gaming Disorder has been included in the appendix of the DSM-5, but it has already been argued that Internet addiction could also comprise problematic use of other applications with cybersex, online relations, shopping, and information search being Internet facets at risk for developing an addictive behavior. Neuropsychological investigations have pointed out that certain prefrontal functions in particular executive control functions are related to symptoms of Internet addiction, which is in line with recent theoretical models on the development and maintenance of the addictive use of the Internet. Control processes are particularly reduced when individuals with Internet addiction are confronted with Internet-related cues representing their first choice use. For example, processing Internet-related cues interferes with working memory performance and decision making. Consistent with this, results from functional neuroimaging and other neuropsychological studies demonstrate that cue-reactivity, craving, and decision making are important concepts for understanding Internet addiction. The findings on reductions in executive control are consistent with other behavioral addictions, such as pathological gambling. They also emphasize the classification of the phenomenon as an addiction, because there are also several similarities with findings in substance dependency. The neuropsychological and neuroimaging results have important clinical impact, as one therapy goal should enhance control over the Internet use by modifying specific cognitions and Internet use expectancies.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Second, functional neuroimaging studies have shown that the same areas of the brain that are active in other substance and behavioral addictions are active in the brains of those who meet the diagnostic criteria for internet addiction (Brand, Young, & Laier, 2014; Han, Bolo, Daniels, Arenella, Lyoo, & Renshaw, 2011; Holden, 2001; Ko et al., 2009; Ko, Liu, Yen, Yen, Chen, & Lin, 2013; Kuss & Grif”
From Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction (2021) · cites this paper as Brand, Young, & Laier, 2014
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“The neurobiological similarities between substance addiction and compulsive social media usage are striking, particularly in terms of prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction, which is critical for impulse control and decision-making [32, 33].”
From The Impact of Social Media & Technology on Child and Adolescent Mental Health (2025) · cites this paper as [32]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Williams, J. B. W., & First, M. B. (2013) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.104 · Cited by 109,845
Internet Addiction: The Emergence of a New Clinical Disorder
YOUNG, K. S. (1998) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/cpb.1998.1.237 · Cited by 5,513 · cited 4×
“…see patients suffering from severe negative consequences due to an overuse of the Internet in general or certain Internet applications, the terminology used for this phenomenon and its classification are still under debate (Young, 1998b, 1999; Charlton and Danforth, 2007; Starcevic, 2013).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citationDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
(2013) · American Psychiatric Association Publishing eBooks · doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.893619 · Cited by 4,407
Functional architecture of basal ganglia circuits: neural substrates of parallel processing
Alexander, G. E., & Crutcher, M. D. (1990) · Trends in Neurosciences · doi:10.1016/0166-2236(90)90107-l · Cited by 4,131 · cited 4×
“…(via the thalamus) and the limbic loop connecting limbic structures, such as the amygdala, and structures that are linked to motivational aspects of behavior, such as the nucleus accumbens, with the orbitofrontal and ventromedial part of the prefrontal brain area (Alexander and Crutcher, 1990).”
BackgroundInfluentialNeural systems of reinforcement for drug addiction: from actions to habits to compulsion
Everitt, B. J., & Robbins, T. W. (2005) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn1579 · Cited by 3,785 · cited 6×
“They are consistent with neurobiological and psychological models of addition (Robinson and Berridge,2003; Everitt and Robbins,2006) and with neuropsychological and neuroimaging findings in substance dependency and other forms of behavioral additions (Grant et al., 2006; van Holst et al., 2010).”
BackgroundInfluentialConflict monitoring and anterior cingulate cortex: an update
Botvinick, M. M., Cohen, J. D., & Carter, C. S. (2004) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2004.10.003 · Cited by 3,623 · cited 2×
“All authors are accountable for all aspects of the work.”
BackgroundBardo, M. T., & Hammer, R. P. (1991) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/0306-4522(91)90226-e · Cited by 3,229
A “components” model of addiction within a biopsychosocial framework
Griffiths, M. (2005) · Journal of Substance Use · doi:10.1080/14659890500114359 · Cited by 3,088 · cited 2×
“…parallels between Internet addiction and other so-called behavioral addictions (e.g., Grant et al., 2013) and substance dependency (see also Griffiths, 2005; Meerkerk et al., 2009), which we will summarize in Sections “Neuropsychological Correlates of Internet Addiction” and “Neuroimaging…”
BackgroundResultA cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use
Davis, R. A. (2001) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/s0747-5632(00)00041-8 · Cited by 3,010 · cited 5×
“Davis (2001) introduced a theoretical cognitive–behavioral model on pathological or problematic Internet use and differentiates between a generalized pathological Internet use, which we call generalized Internet addiction (GIA), and a specific pathological Internet use, for which we use the term…”
BackgroundResultInfluentialMotivations for Play in Online Games
Yee, N. (2006) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9.772 · Cited by 2,939 · cited 1×
“This has already been shown, for example for cybersex addiction (Brand et al., 2011; Laier et al., 2013a) and is most likely also a mechanism for online gaming (e.g., Tychsen et al., 2006; Yee, 2006).”
Background
Flagged first, then by citations
2 of the 158 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- 2008, Executive Function and the Frontal Lobes: A Life Span Perspective
- Young, 1999, Internet addiction: symptoms, evaluation, and treatment, Innov. Clin. Pract., 17, 19
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 201–300 of 566
Zhang, Z., Wang, S., Du, X., Qi, Y., Wang, L., & Dong, G. (2023) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2023.00039 · Cited by 25
Zhang, J., Zhang, Y., & Xu, F. (2019) · Medicine · doi:10.1097/md.0000000000017283 · Cited by 25
“1 functions caused by excessive use of the internet.([4]) IA includes”
BackgroundA Double-Edged Impact of Social Smartphone Use on Smartphone Addiction: A Parallel Mediation Model
Chang, K., Li, X., Zhang, L., & Zhang, H. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.808192 · Cited by 30
Burkauskas, J., Griškova-Bulanova, I., Đorić, A., Balhara, Y. P. S., Arya, S., Ransing, R. S., Thi, T. –. V. V., Huong, T. N., Kafalı, H. Y., Erzın, G., et al. (2022) · Middle East Current Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s43045-022-00180-6 · Cited by 25
Parmaksız, İ. (2022) · Education and Information Technologies · doi:10.1007/s10639-022-10996-8 · Cited by 29
“Although digital addiction has not yet been officially recognized as a mental disorder, previous research has shown that digital addiction also causes symptoms similar to those seen in substance abuse (Brand et al., 2014).”
BackgroundApplying behavioral economic theory to problematic Internet use: An initial investigation.
Acuff, S. F., MacKillop, J. M., & Murphy, J. G. (2018) · Psychology of Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1037/adb0000404 · Cited by 30
Moshel, M. L., Warburton, W., Batchelor, J., Bennett, J. M., & Ko, K. Y. (2023) · Neuropsychology Review · doi:10.1007/s11065-023-09612-4 · Cited by 33
“…specific diagnostic variants without considering the similarities between disordered screen use behaviours (Legault et al., 2021), and deficits in narrow cognitive domains (Ioannidis et al., 2019; Yao et al., 2022), or only provided a qualitative analysis (Brand et al., 2014; Legault et al., 2021).”
BackgroundWang, W., Ye, J., Zhu, Y., Huang, D., & Zhao, X. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1258673 · Cited by 31
“In the same vain, previous research has shown that modifying specific cognitions and expectations related to internet use can enhance internet self-control and reduce levels of PIU (62).”
BackgroundMüller, S. M., Schiebener, J., Brand, M., & Liebherr, M. (2021) · Cognitive Processing · doi:10.1007/s10339-021-01029-2 · Cited by 28
Self-citationInternet-use disorders: A theoretical framework for their conceptualization and diagnosis
Wegmann, E., Billieux, J., & Brand, M. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-822201-0.00022-8 · Cited by 26
Self-citationShahrajabian, F., Hasani, J., Griffiths, M. D., Aruguete, M. S., & Chashmi, S. J. E. (2023) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107659 · Cited by 26
Shen, X., Zhou, X., Liao, H., McDonnell, D., & Wang, J. (2024) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.01.025 · Cited by 31
Network-Based Analysis Reveals Functional Connectivity Related to Internet Addiction Tendency
Wen, T., & Hsieh, S. (2016) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2016.00006 · Cited by 25
Molecular Genetics, Personality, and Internet Addiction Revisited
Montag, C., & Reuter, M. (2017) · Studies in neuroscience, psychology and behavioral economics · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-46276-9_9 · Cited by 25
Problematic internet use in gamblers: impact on clinical and cognitive measures
Chamberlain, S. R., Redden, S. A., Leppink, E. W., & Grant, J. E. (2017) · CNS Spectrums · doi:10.1017/s1092852917000037 · Cited by 26
“Only a handful of studies have addressed cognitive functioning in problematic internet users.(23,41) In gamblers, we identified an association between problematic internet use and impaired spatial working memory, along with a nonglobal deficit in decision making (less modulation of behavior as a function of gambling r…”
BackgroundInfluentialNie, J., Li, W., Wang, P., Wang, X., Wang, Y., & Lei, L. (2018) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2018.11.036 · Cited by 26
Psychological and neuroscientific advances to understand Internet Use Disorder
Becker, B., & Montag, C. (2019) · e-Neuroforum · doi:10.1515/nf-2018-0026 · Cited by 24
Stevanović, D., Đorić, A., Balhara, Y. P. S., Ćirović, N., Arya, S., Ransing, R. S., Thi, T.-V., Huong, T., Tadić, I., Jović, J., et al. (2019) · Psihologija · doi:10.2298/psi190421015s · Cited by 23
Resting-State fMRI Study of ADHD and Internet Gaming Disorder
Han, D. H., Bae, S., Hong, J., Kim, S. M., Son, Y. D., & Renshaw, P. F. (2019) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/1087054719883022 · Cited by 26
Przepiórka, A., & Błachnio, A. (2019) · Journal of Research on Adolescence · doi:10.1111/jora.12543 · Cited by 28
Malak, M. Z., Shuhaiber, A., Alsswey, A., & Tarawneh, A. (2023) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.06.007 · Cited by 23
Huang, L., Yang, F., & Wu, W. (2024) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108163 · Cited by 25
Peng, Z., Jia, Q., Mao, J., Luo, X., Huang, A., Zheng, H., Jiang, S., Ma, Q., Ma, C., & Yi, Q. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1439727 · Cited by 29
“For instance, it may construe addictive behaviors as manifestations of pleasure (reward) (20).”
Wang, J., & Wang, S. (2025) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs15050665 · Cited by 26
“This is also similar to Brand’s description of the use of functional networks as a tool to handle daily needs and goals in a healthy way (M. Brand et al., 2014).”
Succumb to habit: Behavioral evidence for overreliance on habit learning in Internet addicts
Zhou, B., Wang, W., Zhang, W., Li, Y., & Nie, J. (2018) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2018.08.030 · Cited by 23
Lee, J., Choi, C.-H., Park, M., Park, S., & Choi, J. (2022) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291722000137 · Cited by 22
Common and specific risk factors for comorbidity types of problematic smartphone use in adolescents
Chang, W.-C., & Ko, H. (2023) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2023.107656 · Cited by 25
Schulte, M. H. J., Kaag, A. M., Wiers, R. W. H. J., Schmaal, L., van den Brink, W., Reneman, L., Homberg, J. R., van Wingen, G. A., & Goudriaan, A. E. (2017) · Drug and Alcohol Dependence · doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.06.025 · Cited by 22
Diminished Frontal Theta Activity During Gaming in Young Adults With Internet Gaming Disorder
Kim, J., Park, J., Park, Y. M., Jang, D. P., Namkoong, K., Jung, Y., & Kim, I. Y. (2019) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.01183 · Cited by 20
Luo, H., Gong, X., Chen, X., Hu, J., Wang, X., Sun, Y., Li, J., Lv, S., & Zhang, X. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.938116 · Cited by 23
Adolescent Health Implications of New Age Technology.
Jacobson, C., Bailin, A., Milanaik, R., & Adesman, A. (2016) · The Pediatric clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2015.09.001 · Cited by 22
The Relationship between Online Game Experience and Multitasking Ability in a Virtual Environment
Chang, Y., Liu, D.-C., Chen, Y.-Q., & Hsieh, S. (2017) · Applied Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1002/acp.3368 · Cited by 26
Biochemical Correlates of Video Game Use: From Physiology to Pathology. A Narrative Review
Carpita, B., Muti, D., Nardi, B., Benedetti, F., Cappelli, A., Cremone, I. M., Carmassi, C., & Dell’Osso, L. (2021) · Life · doi:10.3390/life11080775 · Cited by 20
“According to some authors [12], IGD may imply the release of strong dopaminergic bursts from striatal regions, which may feature functional changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, resulting in a reduction of the executive functions, with a potential gradual loss of control on gaming use.”
BackgroundWu, A. M. S., Lai, M. H. C., Zhang, M., Yogo, M., Yu, S. M., Mao, S., & Chen, J. H. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19052951 · Cited by 22
“Disordered gaming is a plausible result of maladaptive coping of psychological distress [22].”
BackgroundCai, H. X., Bai, W., Yue, Y., Zhang, L., Mi, W.-F., Li, Y., Liu, H., Du, X., Zeng, Z.-T., Lu, C.-M., et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.997593 · Cited by 21
“Another central symptom in the IA-RDS model was node IAT2 (“Neglect chores to spend more time online”), that aligns with commonly used IA criteria related to continued excessive use and loss of control of the Internet to the neglect of other responsibilities (62, 63).”
BackgroundInternet Addiction and Family Stress: Symptoms, Causes and Effects
Mustafa, M. Y., Rose, N. N., & Ishak, A. S. (2020) · Journal of Physics Conference Series · doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1529/3/032017 · Cited by 20
Noh, D., & Kim, S. (2016) · International Journal of Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.1111/inm.12220 · Cited by 23
Gong, F., Gong, Z., Liu, H., Yi, P., Jia, Y., Zhuang, J., Shu, J., Huang, X., & Wu, Y. (2024) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s443349 · Cited by 25
“Similar to the phenomenon of “generalized Internet addiction” proposed by Brand et al 25 and Davis, 22 PIU encompasses all forms of Internet use and therefore reflects multi-dimensional overuse of the Internet.”
BackgroundRumpf, H., Arnaud, N., Batra, A., Bischof, A., Bischof, G., Brand, M., Gohlke, A., Kaess, M., Kiefer, F., Leménager, T., et al. (2016) · SUCHT - Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft und Praxis / Journal of Addiction Research and Practice · doi:10.1024/0939-5911/a000425 · Cited by 19
Self-citationÇıkrıkçı, Ö. (2018) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.147 · Cited by 20
Chashmi, S. J. E., Shahrajabian, F., Hasani, J., Potenza, M. N., Kuss, D. J., & Hakima, F. (2023) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2023.00022 · Cited by 20
“Pre-frontal cortical dysfunction has been linked to impaired emotion regulation, poor working memory and PUI (Brand et al., 2014; Han et al., 2011a, 2011b).”
BackgroundInfluentialSağlam, R., & Kalanlar, B. (2025) · Nurse Education in Practice · doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104530 · Cited by 25
Clinical Considerations in Internet and Video Game Addiction Treatment
Greenfield, D. N. (2021) · Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.chc.2021.09.003 · Cited by 21
Stanciu, D., & CĂLUGĂR, A. (2022) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2022.107365 · Cited by 25
Bagheri, R., Ostovar, S., Griffiths, M., & Hashim, I. H. M. (2022) · Technology and Society · doi:10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102163 · Cited by 16
Simonelli, V., Narzisi, A., Sesso, G., Salvati, A., Milone, A., Viglione, V., Tolomei, G., Masi, G., & Berloffa, S. (2024) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci14020154 · Cited by 20
“It has been widely highlighted in the literature that ADHD can be a significant predictor of both substance use disorder [15] and behavioral addictions [16], as these disorders share neuropsychological characteristics with ADHD [17,18].”
BackgroundÖztekin, G. G. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1367462 · Cited by 18
“The results highlight that control processes related to the prefrontal cortex are reduced in internet addicted individuals and this may be related to the loss of control over internet use (Brand et al., 2014).”
BackgroundKim, J., & Kang, E. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00371 · Cited by 17
“Recent studies have linked IGD to disrupted function in brain reward circuitry (16), associated with abnormal sensitivity to reinforcement values (17) and impaired use of negative feedback to adjust ongoing behavior (18, 19).”
BackgroundSeok, J., & Sohn, J. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00460 · Cited by 22
“This area is involved in executive functions and other higher-order cognitions, which are the main neural correlates of problematic excessive behavior (14).”
BackgroundAgbaria, Q., & Bdier, D. (2020) · International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction · doi:10.1007/s11469-020-00282-4 · Cited by 18
Sadeghi, S., Takeuchi, H., Shalani, B., Taki, Y., Nouchi, R., Yokoyama, R., Kotozaki, Y., Nakagawa, S., Sekiguchi, A., Iizuka, K., et al. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0259259 · Cited by 22
Tseng, Y.-H., Chao, H.-H., & Hung, C. (2022) · Children · doi:10.3390/children9060798 · Cited by 20
“This is in line with recent theoretical models on the development and maintenance of the addictive use of the Internet [8].”
ResultInfluentialA Short Summary of Neuroscientific Findings on Internet Addiction
Montag, C., Duke, É., & Reuter, M. (2017) · Studies in neuroscience, psychology and behavioral economics · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-46276-9_12 · Cited by 18
Xu, X., Ma, X., Ni, H., Wang, H., Wang, T., Liu, C., Song, X., & Dong, G. (2024) · Biological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging · doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.04.011 · Cited by 16
Problematic Internet use and intrapersonal and interpersonal attitudes in adolescents
Cudo, A., Dobosz, M., Jarząbek-Cudo, A., & Basaj, Ł. (2016) · Postępy Psychiatrii i Neurologii · doi:10.1016/j.pin.2016.08.005 · Cited by 16
Brain stimulation to treat Internet addiction: A commentary
Trojak, B., ZULLINO, D. F., & Achab, S. (2015) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.11.006 · Cited by 16
“IA was found to present similarities to SUD at the clinical level, in that it combined impaired inhibitory control with cue reactivity and increased craving, which is a strong desire or urge to use the Internet (Brand et al., 2014).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialYau, Y. H. C., & Potenza, M. N. (2014) · Psychiatric Annals · doi:10.3928/00485713-20140806-05 · Cited by 15
On the Duty to Be an Attention Ecologist
Aylsworth, T., & Castro, C. (2022) · Philosophy & Technology · doi:10.1007/s13347-022-00514-6 · Cited by 17
“Brand et al. (2014) used neuroimaging to demonstrate the effect of internet addiction on prefrontal control.”
MethodLi, L., Niu, Z., Griffiths, M. D., & Mei, S. (2022) · International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction · doi:10.1007/s11469-022-00857-3 · Cited by 21
“Many scholars in the behavioral addiction field agree that internet addiction comprises two types: generalized internet addiction and specific internet addiction (Brand et al., 2014; Lopez-Fernandez, 2018; Montag et al., 2015).”
Ali, N. A. A., & Matarneh, S. (2024) · International Journal of Adolescence and Youth · doi:10.1080/02673843.2024.2302400 · Cited by 17
“Brand et al. (2014) suggested that dysfunctional prefrontal control mechanisms are linked to impaired self-regulation and coping strategies, which may lead individuals to seek solace in the online world.”
Ryu, K., Kim, Y., Kim, J., & Woo, M. (2021) · Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.ajsep.2021.09.006 · Cited by 15
Loucks, E. B., Britton, W. B., Howe, C. J., Gutman, R., Gilman, S. E., Brewer, J. A., Eaton, C. B., & Buka, S. L. (2015) · International Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s12529-015-9513-z · Cited by 15
“Treating emotions and physical sensations as passing events can help people tolerate cravings and overcome addictions, whether it is for cigarettes [10] or potentially for other consumption-related risks for CVD such as overconsumption of high caloric palatable foods leading to obesity or sedentary activities such as…”
BackgroundTheoretical Models of the Development and Maintenance of Internet Addiction
Brand, M. (2017) · Studies in neuroscience, psychology and behavioral economics · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-46276-9_2 · Cited by 15
“Another aspect that is not explicitly included in our initial model (Brand et al. 2014b) is the potential impact of reduced executive functioning and reduced inhibitory control, the role of which has been described in detail in the aforementioned text.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citationGhiaccio, R., Passaro, A., Stasolla, F., Martini, E., Fortuna, A. M. D., & Picione, R. D. L. (2025) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph22040496 · Cited by 18
“…investigate whether ADHD predisposes individuals to IGD, whether IGD exacerbates pre-existing ADHD symptoms, or whether both disorders are influenced by common etiological factors, such as deficits in executive functioning, difficulties in self-regulation, or psychological vulnerabilities [54,55].”
Rahayu, F. S., Nugroho, L. E., Ferdiana, R., & Setyohadi, D. B. (2020) · Future Internet · doi:10.3390/fi12100174 · Cited by 17
“Although digital addiction has not been recognized as a formal mental disorder as yet, previous research shows that digital addiction shares similar symptoms to those seen in substance addiction [8,9].”
BackgroundAgarwal, K., Manza, P., Tejeda, H. A., Courville, A. B., Volkow, N. D., & Joseph, P. V. (2023) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.08.033 · Cited by 19
“Moreover, frontal lobe structural abnormalities are associated with internet addictive behaviors [16].”
Fan, B., Wang, W., Wang, T., Xie, B., Zhang, H., Liao, Y., Lu, C., & Guo, L. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17030774 · Cited by 14
“Moreover, substance use may affect an individual’s brain function, as well as their ability to self-regulate, leading to the development of depressive symptoms [16,17].”
BackgroundBernstein, S., Warburton, W., Bussey, K., & Sweller, N. (2023) · Sexuality Research and Social Policy · doi:10.1007/s13178-022-00698-8 · Cited by 14
Baltic Journal of Psychology; Volume 20, Number 1&2
(2019) · BALTIC JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY · doi:10.22364/bjp.20.01-02 · Cited by 14
Sinha, N. K., Kumar, P., Kumar, S., & Priyadarshi, P. (2021) · IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review · doi:10.1177/2277975220965346 · Cited by 13
“In contrast, people who exhibit PIU display a loss of cognitive control (Brand et al., 2014), accompanied by nonproductive use of the Internet (Caplan, 2010) and low selfdirectedness (Montag et al., 2010).”
Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment to Evaluate People with Addictions
Mota, G. R., Pérez, E. J. P., de León, J. M. R. S., León-Frade, I., Aldea-Poyo, P., Alonso-Rodríguez, M., Pedrero-Aguilar, J., & Morales-Alonso, S. (2017) · Occupational Therapy International · doi:10.1155/2017/2750328 · Cited by 13
“This happens in both cases of substance addictions [6] and cases of behavioral addictions [7].”
BackgroundDeveloping the AIlessphobia in education scale and examining its psychometric characteristics
Gezgin, D., & Kurtça, T. T. (2024) · Education and Information Technologies : Official Journal of the IFIP technical committee on Education · doi:10.1007/s10639-024-12984-6 · Cited by 14
“No Mobile Phone Phobia" are some of the negative consequences of this process on individuals (Brand et al., 2014; King et al., 2010).”
Turan, S., Çıray, R. O., Tunçtürk, M., Halaç, E., Bilgiç, B., Ağaç, N., & Ermiş, Ç. (2022) · Child Psychiatry & Human Development · doi:10.1007/s10578-022-01468-8 · Cited by 12
“It is also emphasized that there is a relationship between internet addiction and impairments in executive functions [15].”
Moshel, M. L., Warburton, W., Thomasius, R., & Paschke, K. (2025) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/68571 · Cited by 18
“This prevalence is concerning, given the particular susceptibility of adolescents to developing IGD [14-16], along with the neurological, psychological, and social consequences associated with its development [17-20].”
He, Z., & Ming-de, L. (2022) · The Journal of Genetic Psychology · doi:10.1080/00221325.2022.2025757 · Cited by 12
“Neuropsychological investigations have pointed out that certain prefrontal functions, in particular executive control functions, are related to symptoms of IA (Brand et al., 2014).”
BackgroundTerroso, L. B., Pante, M., Krimberg, J. S., & de Almeida, R. M. M. (2022) · Estudos de Psicologia (Campinas) · doi:10.1590/1982-0275202239e200024 · Cited by 14
Ji, L., Yu, Y., Wan, J., Zhang, Y., Chen, X., & Chen, C. (2023) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-023-05496-y · Cited by 13
“Most importantly, they are mentally immature and are at a critical stage in their social adjustment and emotional development in late adolescence (Brand et al., 2014).”
Wang, J., & Li, H. (2023) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2023.00058 · Cited by 12
Psychological and cognitive complaints in individuals with love addiction
Giacobbe, C., Maggi, G., Borrello, L., Barone, A., Mastromarino, C., Antonelli, P., & Santangelo, G. (2024) · Journal of Affective Disorders Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jadr.2024.100785 · Cited by 12
Lei, H., Zhu, C., Wang, Y., Shao, T., Lu, F., & Zhang, C. (2024) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s486149 · Cited by 11
“81–83 Similarly, a network analysis of core symptoms of problematic Internet use in early, middle, and late adolescence found that “increasing time for satisfaction” showed high strength centrality in all three stages.”
Studying Psychopathology in Relation to Smartphone Use
Rozgonjuk, D., Elhai, J. D., & Hall, B. J. (2019) · Studies in neuroscience, psychology and behavioral economics · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-31620-4_11 · Cited by 13
Neuropsychological Correlates of Internet Addiction
Pop-Jordanova, N. D., & Loleska, S. (2021) · PRILOZI · doi:10.2478/prilozi-2021-0031 · Cited by 11
“The prefrontal cortex regions and associated brain structures most likely involved in development and maintenance of an addictive use of the internet (Brand, 2014) [21]”
BackgroundMastropietro, S., Favieri, F., Forte, G., Locuratolo, N., Mannarelli, D., Pauletti, C., Fattapposta, F., & Casagrande, M. (2022) · International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction · doi:10.1007/s11469-022-00906-x · Cited by 13
“…characterized by alteration in similar brain areas (i.e., dorsolateral, orbital, and ventral medial prefrontal cortex; striatum; mesocorticolimbic system; see Brand et al., 2014; Dong et al., 2011; Gearhardt et al., 2011; Ko et al., 2009; Long et al., 2018; Yau & Potenza, 2015; Power et al., 2012).”
Wallinheimo, A.-S., & Evans, S. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0331961 · Cited by 13
“…(depressive symptoms in particular) can make individuals more impulsive by impairing prefrontal cortex executive control functions, raising the risk of addictive behaviour [40,41] and thus providing another mechanism linking poor mental health to enhanced risk of PSU and social media addiction.”
Shi, W., Zhao, Y., Zhou, J., & Shi, J. (2025) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108346 · Cited by 13
Sriwaranun, T., Sittanomai, N., Chantaratin, S., & Boon‐yasidhi, V. (2023) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/10870547231171726 · Cited by 10
“Excessive use of electronic media has been found to be associated with physical and psychological adverse consequences including poor sleep, decreased social coping, and increased ADHD symptoms (Brand et al., 2014; Goldfield et al., 2011; Liu et al., 2016; Martinez-Gomez et al., 2010; Swing et al., 2010; Wu et al., 20…”
BackgroundSexual Addiction and Christian Education
Aghamiri, F. S., & Luetz, J. M. (2021) · Innovating Christian Education Research · doi:10.1007/978-981-15-8856-3_24 · Cited by 10
Internet Addiction among Secondary School Students in Upper Egypt
El-Mawgood, A. A., Yousef, F. M. A., & Ali, R. A. E. (2021) · Journal of High Institute of Public Health · doi:10.21608/jhiph.2021.191502 · Cited by 10
“Maladaptive and excessive Internet use, as proved by many evidences, may lead to addiction, which in turn could lead to psychosocial health problems.((3)) Although Internet addiction (IA) has not been officially recognized as a specific disease in the DSM-5((4)), problematic Internet use had been indicated by scientis…”
BackgroundInfluentialHarren, N., & Walburg, V. (2022) · Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science · doi:10.1007/s41347-022-00280-4 · Cited by 11
Diagnostik und Therapie der Internetabhängigkeit
Wildt, B. T. T. (2018) · Die Rehabilitation · doi:10.1055/s-0043-124392 · Cited by 10
“Ein aktuelles Modell von Kimberly Young und Matthias Brand veranschaulicht, wie sich bestimmte kognitive Stile im Sinne von dysfunktionalen Internetnutzungserwartungen als auslösende und aufrechterhaltende Faktoren erweisen [7].”
BackgroundSprawność intelektualna osób o odmiennych chronotypach
Jankowski, K. S. (2021) · Wydawnictwo Liberi Libri eBooks · doi:10.47943/lib.9788363487515.rozdzial10 · Cited by 8
Inteligencja a funkcjonowanie w bliskich związkach
Leniarska, M., & Zajenkowski, M. (2021) · Wydawnictwo Liberi Libri eBooks · doi:10.47943/lib.9788363487515.rozdzial11 · Cited by 8
Inteligencja a agresja. Czy wysokie IQ może uchronić przed wkroczeniem na ścieżkę przestępczą?
Bodecka-Zych, M. (2021) · Wydawnictwo Liberi Libri eBooks · doi:10.47943/lib.9788363487515.rozdzial03 · Cited by 8
Inteligentny sport: o związkach inteligencji z aktywnością fizyczną i poziomem wykonania sportowego
Waleriańczyk, W., & Stolarski, M. (2021) · Wydawnictwo Liberi Libri eBooks · doi:10.47943/lib.9788363487515.rozdzial09 · Cited by 8
A Narrative Review of Digital Addiction and Health: A New Challenge for Modern Medicine
Patel, D. G., Kshatri, A. H. S., Kommuru, S., & Javvaji, C. K. (2025) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.100491 · Cited by 14
“They typically struggle to control their usage and continue despite impairments in daily functioning [33,34].”
InfluentialEquivalência semântica e confiabilidade da versão em português da Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale
Silva, H. R. D. S. E., Areco, K. C. N., Bandiera‐Paiva, P., Galvão, P. V. M., Garcia, A. N. D. M., & da Silveira, D. X. (2015) · Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria · doi:10.1590/0047-2085000000052 · Cited by 9
Wegmann, E., Brand, M., Snagowski, J., & Schiebener, J. (2016) · Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/13803395.2016.1201461 · Cited by 11
“Thus, Brand, Young, and Laier (2014), as well as Sun et al. (2009), recommend the use of addiction-related stimuli in such tasks, pertaining potentially also to functional imaging studies of cognitive control.”
BackgroundSelf-citationOdacı, H., & Çıkrıkçı, Ö. (2021) · Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy · doi:10.1007/s10942-021-00394-3 · Cited by 11
ADIKSI INTERNET MENYEBABKAN MASALAH EMOSIONAL DAN PERILAKU PADA REMAJA
Herawati, E., & Utami, L. W. (2022) · Biomedika · doi:10.23917/biomedika.v14i1.17126 · Cited by 9
Brain Anatomy Alterations and Mental Health Challenges Correlate to Email Addiction Tendency
Sadeghi, S., Takeuchi, H., Shalani, B., Taki, Y., Nouchi, R., Yokoyama, R., Kotozaki, Y., Nakagawa, S., Sekiguchi, A., Iizuka, K., et al. (2022) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci12101278 · Cited by 8
Metadata
- Authors
- Brand, M., Young, K. S., & Laier, C.
- Affiliations
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DE)
- St. Bonaventure University (US)
- University of Duisburg-Essen (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Brand, Matthias
- Venue
- Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2014-05-27
- Volume
- 8
- Pages
- 375-375
- ISSN
- 1662-5161 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4034340
- OpenAlex
- W2111982163
- Cited by
- 565
- References
- 158
- Citations by year
- 2026: 42 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 58 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 49 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 44 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 9
- FWCI
- 14.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DuEPublico (University of Duisburg-Essen) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Keywords
- internet addiction, prefrontal control, executive function, cue reactivity, craving, decision-making, working memory, behavioral addiction, gambling addiction, internet gaming disorder, DSM-5, online shopping addiction, cybersex addiction
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
