A study published in Nature in 1998 found evidence that playing video games releases dopamine in the human striatum.
This dopamine is associated with learning, behavior reinforcement, attention, and sensorimotor integration. Researchers used positron emission tomography scans and 11C-labelled raclopride to track dopamine levels in the brain during goal-directed motor tasks and found that dopamine release was positively correlated with task performance and was greatest in the ventral striatum.
This was the first study to demonstrate the behavioral conditions under which dopamine is released in humans.
It highlights the ability of positron emission tomography to detect neurotransmitter fluxes during changes in behavior.
According to research, potentially problematic video game use is related to personality traits such as low self-esteem and low self-efficacy, anxiety, aggression, and clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. Additionally, the reasons individuals play video games vary and may include coping, socialization, and personal satisfaction.
The DSM-5 defines Internet Gaming Disorder as a mental disorder closely related to Gambling Disorder.
This has been supported by some researchers but has also caused controversy.
