Neuropsychology as a Method of Diagnosis and Treatment of Internet Addiction

Abstract

Objective:Nowadays, the widespread use of the internet has resulted in the creation of the phenomenon of addiction to the internet. Internet addiction constitutes a new kind of mental disorder that is caused by the excessive use of the internet to a point that it interferes with daily life. In our research, we detected and recorded the electrophysiological brain characteristics of addicted users.Materials and Methods:Our research focused on 28 Greek pupils of an average age of 13.3 years. For the detection of those pupils addicted to the internet, we administered the Internet Addiction Test. When the results of the test were evaluated, 14 students were selected for having the characteristics of internet-Addicted users. Those selected underwent a clinical assessment with the use of Event-Related Potentials (P300 waveform). Thereafter, we compared the results collected from the first group (internet-Addicted users) to the data received from the application of the P300 wave on the 14 pupils of the control group (pupils who were not addicted to the internet). After the assessment, the group of children with internet addiction characteristics received rehabilitation treatment.Results:After the rehabilitation process of the internet-Addicted pupils, both groups were tested once more, and the electrophysiological results received revealed that the internet-Addicted group presented similar P300 latency values to that of the control group.Discussion:The findings of this research are significant, taking into account the rapid rise of internet addiction globally and the importance of introducing and ultimately having at our disposal a reliable tool that can detect internet addiction.Conclusion:The findings of this research provide us with significant insights on how we can use neuropsychology in our effort to deal with the phenomenon of internet addiction. © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.