Young people with Internet addiction experience changes in brain chemistry that may lead to more addictive behavior, a study suggests. The study, published in the journal PLOS Mental Health, reviewed previous research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the interaction of brain regions in people with internet addiction. For the study, researchers analyzed 12 previous studies involving 237 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 with a formal diagnosis of internet addiction between 2013 and 2023. It was found that in the brains of young people, the effect was seen in multiple neural networks, as well as increased activity in areas of the brain when the study participants were at rest. At the same time, there was a general decrease in functional connectivity in parts of the brain involved in active thinking, the brain's executive control network responsible for memory and decision-making. The study found that these changes lead to adolescent addictive behaviors and tendencies, as well as behavioral changes related to mental health, development, intellectual ability, and physical coordination.