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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Psychiatry

Sleep disturbance is associated with reduced DTI-ALPS index and altered functional-network efficiency in internet gaming disorder

  • Longyao Ma1,2
  • Bohui Mei1,2
  • Mengzhe Zhang1,2
  • Wenjing Li1,2
  • Xinyu Wang1,2
  • Jiawen Tian1,2
  • Hui Zhang1,2
  • Yan Lang3
  • Qiyan Lv3
  • Yarui Wei1,2
  • Shaoqiang Han1,2
  • Yong Zhang1,2
  1. 1Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
  2. 2Zhengzhou Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Cognitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  3. 3Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
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Abstract

Background: Sleep disturbance is common in internet gaming disorder (IGD), but its possible involvement in the pathophysiology of IGD remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the glymphatic system-related function in IGD patients and to establish the associations among glymphatic system, human brain network, and clinical features.

Methods: This study recruited 66 IGD patients and 35 healthy controls (HC), who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning and clinical assessment. The glymphatic system-related diffusivity and network efficiency were calculated based on diffusion images along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) method and resting-state functional MRI, respectively. Differences between groups, neural/clinical correlations, and mediation analyses were further explored.

Results: Compared with HC, IGD patients showed a significantly lower ALPS index and global network efficiency. The partial correlation analysis showed that the ALPS index in IGD patients was associated with PSQI, HAMA, and HAMD scores. Moreover, the ALPS index partially mediated the association between global brain efficiency and sleep quality in exploratory cross-sectional mediation analysis.

Conclusions: The current study revealed abnormalities of ALPS index and network efficiency in IGD patients and suggested that the cross-sectional associations among global brain efficiency, sleep quality, and ALPS index were consistent with an indirect pathway, which may reveal the neuropathological mechanisms of IGD.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{ma2026sleep,
  title = {{Sleep disturbance is associated with reduced DTI-ALPS index and altered functional-network efficiency in internet gaming disorder}},
  author = {Longyao Ma and Bohui Mei and Mengzhe Zhang and Wenjing Li and Xinyu Wang and Jiawen Tian and Hui Zhang and Yan Lang and Qiyan Lv and Yarui Wei and Shaoqiang Han and Yong Zhang},
  journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1892235},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1892235/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Sleep disturbance is associated with reduced DTI-ALPS index and altered functional-network efficiency in internet gaming disorder
AU  - Longyao Ma
AU  - Bohui Mei
AU  - Mengzhe Zhang
AU  - Wenjing Li
AU  - Xinyu Wang
AU  - Jiawen Tian
AU  - Hui Zhang
AU  - Yan Lang
AU  - Qiyan Lv
AU  - Yarui Wei
AU  - Shaoqiang Han
AU  - Yong Zhang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/15
JO  - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO  - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1892235
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1892235/full
AB  - Background: Sleep disturbance is common in internet gaming disorder (IGD), but its possible involvement in the pathophysiology of IGD remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the glymphatic system-related function in IGD patients and to establish the associations among glymphatic system, human brain network, and clinical features.  Methods: This study recruited 66 IGD patients and 35 healthy controls (HC), who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning and clinical assessment. The glymphatic system-related diffusivity and network efficiency were calculated based on diffusion images along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) method and resting-state functional MRI, respectively. Differences between groups, neural/clinical correlations, and mediation analyses were further explored.  Results: Compared with HC, IGD patients showed a significantly lower ALPS index and global network efficiency. The partial correlation analysis showed that the ALPS index in IGD patients was associated with PSQI, HAMA, and HAMD scores. Moreover, the ALPS index partially mediated the association between global brain efficiency and sleep quality in exploratory cross-sectional mediation analysis.  Conclusions: The current study revealed abnormalities of ALPS index and network efficiency in IGD patients and suggested that the cross-sectional associations among global brain efficiency, sleep quality, and ALPS index were consistent with an indirect pathway, which may reveal the neuropathological mechanisms of IGD.
SN  - 1664-0640
ER  -