Cerebral responses to in-game failure and resting-state connectivity are jointly associated with gaming addiction

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is a growing behavioral addiction among adolescents and young adults, yet its neurophysiological underpinnings remain unclear. This study aimed to identify EEG biomarkers of IGD by integrating event-related potentials (ERPs) during naturalistic gameplay with resting-state brain connectivity. We analyzed EEG responses to in-game defeat and slay events in a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game and computed connectivity metrics (i.e., weighted phase lag index, clustering coefficient, path length, and global efficiency) across frequency bands during eyes-closed and eyes-open resting-state conditions. Correlation analyses revealed that neural responses to defeat, particularly beta-band synchronization and ERP amplitudes, were significantly associated with IGD severity. Additionally, delta-band connectivity during eyes-closed rest showed robust associations with multiple IGD subscales. Canonical correlation analysis further demonstrated a significant multivariate relationship between a combined neural signature and IGD severity. These findings suggest that both reactive neural responses to negative in-game events and intrinsic functional connectivity jointly contribute to individual vulnerability to gaming addiction. This multidimensional EEG framework offers novel insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of IGD and holds promise for improving assessment and intervention strategies.