Wired - Neuroscience & Digital Media - Outback Therapeutic Expeditions

Jason Calder, LMFT, CMHCJason Calder, LMFT, CMHC

WiredNeuroscience and

Digital Media

Cyber Big-Bang

The Mark 1 Computer, Harvard, 1944

You are working with the first generation of teens in the history of mankind who have had

access to the internet from birth onward.

Is it an addiction or an Impulse Control Disorder or what??

Presentation Overview• Brain Development• Neurocognitive profile• The Internet• Video games• Social media• The role of wilderness

therapy

Poor impulse control can lead to major problems.

Hunter/Gatherer Brain

What is the neurocognitive profile associated with difficulty managing

digital media?

Neurocognitive profile• Low inhibition • Multi-taskers• Working memory problems• Overactive reward center• ADHD• Sleep-deprivation

InhibitionResearch shows that teens often respond to emotional decisions from the amygdala (emotional centers) whereas adults in these same situations show neural activity in the frontal lobes (executive abilities, pros vs cons, etc.)

Introduction

Method

Figure/Chart here

Participants: Undergraduate students (N = 101) with a mean age of 19.05 (SD= 5.45) were recruited for the study. The sample was composed 61 females and 40 males of the following ethnicities: 62.3% White or Caucasian, 22.7% Black or African American, 4.9% Latino or Hispanic, 2.9% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.9% Asian or Alaskan Native, and 5.9% indicated “other.”

Procedure: Participants completed ratings scales in an auditorium classroom setting.

EF Measure: The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF-A; Roth, Isquith, Gioia, 2005) is a 75 item self-report measure that assess individual’s ability to self-regulate in daily environments. For the current study, Global EF scores and two index scores, namely Behavior Regulation and Metacognition were utilized.

Internet Addition Measures: The Internet Addition Test (Young, 1998) is a 20 item self-report measure that assesses level of internet addiction, or the degree that internet use is causing problems in life. 

Predicting Addictive Use of the Internet with Executive Functioning Dimensions

Seth J. Marshall Ph.D., Michelle Batrez, & Kelsie L. Vaughn Middle Tennessee State University

Measures M SD 1. 2. 3. 4.

1. Internet Addiction 36.43 17.79 .33** .34** .28**

2. Global Executive Functioning 114.24 23.49 .90** .96**

3. EF Behavioral Regulation 48.32 10.32 .74**

4. EF Metacognition 65.92 14.84

The purpose of this study was to investigate how, and to what extent, core dimensions of executive functioning (EF) predicted college students’ addictive use of the internet.

Problematic internet use can lead to consequences in daily life and considerable distress (e.g., Aboujaoude, 2010; Tang, Yu, Du, Ma, Zhang, & Wang, 2014). Theoretically, EF difficulties with stopping/controlling impulses and problems holding information in mind may contribute to internet addiction. To address this, the current study investigated how EF behavior regulation skills (e.g., inhibitory control) and metacognitive skills (e.g., working memory and planning), together and independently, predicted levels of addictive internet use.

Results

Means, Standard Deviations, and Correlations for Predictor and Outcome Variables (N=101)

Higher internet scores indicate increased problems caused by internet useHigher executive functioning scores indicate increased problems with self-regulationAll scores based on raw scores. **p<.01

Discussion

The linear combination of the EF Behavioral Regulation Index (e.g., inhibitory control) and the EF Metacognitive Index (e.g., working memory) was significantly related to students’ internet addiction scores, R2 = .12, adjusted R2

= .10, F(2, 98) = 6.51, p <=.01. Together, the EF indexes accounted for approximately 12% of the variance of internet addiction scores in the sample.

After controlling for the effects of the Metacognition Index scores, the EF Behavioral Regulation Index accounted for a significant proportion of the variance of internet addiction scores, R2 change = .04, F (1, 98) = 4.50, p=.04. However, the EF Metacognition Index did not predict significantly over and above the Behavior Regulation Index scores, R2 change =.00, F(1, 98) =1.78, p=.68.

BRIEF Behavior

.51 .24 .30 2.1 .04 .34 .21 .20

BRIEF Metacognition

.07 .17 .06 .42 .68 .28 .04 .04

R2 .12

Variable B SEB Beta t p Zero-Order

Partial Part

Regression analysis of EF Behavior Regulation and EF Metacognition Predicting Internet Addiction Problems (N=101)

As theorized, participants’ EF skills indeed predicted levels of addictive internet use. Regarding EF behavior regulation skills, difficulty inhibiting impulses contributed to unhealthy internet outcomes such as staying online longer than intended, neglecting responsibilities and relationships, sleep loss, off-line internet preoccupation, and problems cutting down time spent online. Conversely, stronger inhibitory control skills were linked to resisting internet over-use, increased time and responsibility management, and exerting emotional control.

Moreover, in this study, EF behavioral regulation skills better predicted internet use in comparison to EF metacognition skills. This may imply that inhibitory control skills are more predictive of internet use when compared to metacognition skills such as working memory and the ability to plan and organize.

Southeastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting, South Carolina, March 18-21, 2015

Multi-Tasking?

Inhibition p.2• Difficulties with inhibition and behavioral

regulation are related to a host of negative outcomes such as learning difficulties, externalizing behavior, and ADHD symptoms (Barkley, Murphy, & Kwasnik, 1996; Bohlin, Eniger, Brocki, & Thorell, 2012; Hammond, Potenza, & Mayes, 2011). 

Multi-tasking• Improvements in multi-tasking

hampers our ability to think deeply & creatively.

• Multi-tasking is never as efficient as focusing on one thing at a time.

“To be everywhere is to be nowhere.”

-Seneca (4BC-65AD)

Seeing Eye Peoplehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNyTqIsrk0w

Multi-Tasking p.2• Stanford University found that heavy

multitaskers:–More easily distracted by irrelevant

stimuli–Significantly less control of working

memory–Much less able to maintain

concentration

Working memoryTransferring information from working memory into long-term memory is similar to filling a bathtub with a small thimble. When we read a book, we fill the bathtub (long-term memory) steadily with a single faucet (our working memory), drip by drip. With the internet, our thimble overflows as we rush from one faucet to another, retaining very little in our long-term memory. And what we do transfer is often a jumble of incoherent thoughts from multiple faucets rather than a coherent stream. This thimble of working memory is referred to as our cognitive load.

Paper books are associated with greater retention &

comprehension

Does the internet create ADHD-like brains?

• Hyperlinks create:– Increased confusion–Decreased comprehension–Decreased retention–Disorientation

• Evaluating hyperlinks over-taxes our working memory and leads to “cognitive overload”

HYPERMEDIA!!!

Overactive Reward SystemThe reward system is a group of neural structures that are critically involved in mediating the effects of reinforcement. A reward is any kind of exciting stimulus that alters our behavior. Rewards typically serve as reinforcers. A reinforcer is something that, when presented after a behavior, causes the probability of that behavior's occurrence to increase.

Reward System: Pavlov’s Dog

Less D2 receptors = greater risk

Reward System: Delta FosBCauses expression in GluR2 & is very sensitive to dopamine. Glutamate receptors are often responsible for learning, which make the neuron more sensitive to whatever state it was in when the receptors were opened. GluR2's sensitivity to dopamine means it's responsible for learning what brings pleasure.Another enzyme effected by Delta-FosB is named Cdk5. It’s responsible for desensitization of the neuron to dopamine. So, the more Cdk5 present in a neuron, the more dopamine needed to elicit a response. The net effect is that the more of an addictive drug you take or the more of a pleasurable activity you participate in, the better you learn to like the surroundings, situations, and feelings associated with it, and the more you have to take of it to get the same feeling again.

ADHD prevalence rates (US)

People spend an average of 19 to 27 seconds

browsing a website…

Effects of Sleep Deprivation• Sleep deprivation impairs attention,

concentration, reasoning & problem solving• Lack of sleep can contribute to the symptoms

of depression• Sleep deprivation makes us forgetful• Poor sleep habits make people more

impulsive, inattentive, and interferes with their decision making abilities

• Sleep deprivation leads to issues like weight gain and high blood pressure

Sleep Deprivation effects Judgment

“Studies show that over time, people who are getting six hours of sleep, instead of seven or eight, begin to feel that they’ve adapted to that sleep deprivation -- they’ve gotten used to it,” Gehrman says. “But if you look at how they actually do on tests of mental alertness and performance, they continue to go downhill. So there’s a point in sleep deprivation when we lose touch with how impaired we are.”

Is the internet really all that bad?

• Improves our scanning & decoding ability

• British study shows that avid internet users are able to determine how reliable the medical information is on particular websites within only a few seconds.

• As with anything we should strive to find moderation in our internet use.

Web surfing keeps older minds sharp, similar to the effects of playing Scrabble or doing crossword puzzles.

Neuroscience findings:the role of video games

2015 ESA Data

• 42% of Americans play video or computer games at least 3 hours per week

• 56% of gamers are male, 44% are female• The average age of gamers is 35• 2x more adult female gamers than young

male gamers (33% vs 15%)• Everquest gamers spend an average of 22

hours playing per week

Metroid; my addiction in 6th grade

Potential Benefits of Gaming• May increase visual focus, visual field

identification & visual-attentional processing• Burn patients undergoing painful procedures

with Virtual Reality coupled with morphine report less pain than patients using morphine alone

• Casual video gaming (90mins/wk) is shown to decrease state & trait anxiety in some patients

• Laparoscopic surgeons who play more than 3 hours of video games per week made 40% less errors than those who do not

Exercise-based video games can improve walking, muscular strength, and balance in elderly people.

Impacts of compulsive gaming 1• Interactive screen time is much worse for you than

passive. Interactivity keeps the user engaged by providing control, choices, and immediate gratification. These same attributes activate reward circuits and lead to prolonged, compulsive, and even addictive use.

• Chronic gamers (2-7hrs/day) evidence suppressed functioning in frontal lobes.

• Gaming addiction may cause damage to the prefrontal cortex. The NIRS-EEG and simultaneous recording during game play found a decrease of β band and oxygen-hemoglobin which persisted after game play was concluded.

Impacts of compulsive gaming 2• Sleep and memory are significantly impaired

following a single session of excessive computer game playing, while a single session of excessive television viewing produced only mild sleep impairment and had no effect on memory.

• Chronic gaming can produce autism-like traits in some teens due to the lack of social & emotional reciprocity inherent in gaming.

• Actual brain damage occurs from excessive internet and video game use that looks remarkably similar to that from drug and alcohol abuse.

Impacts of compulsive gaming 3• Brain activity is incredibly limited during video

game use. Rather than using their frontal lobes many gamers use only the areas responsible for vision and movement during game play.

• Gaming increases blood pressure, heart rate & impacts autonomic nervous system, resulting in stress-related chemical release.

• Excessive VGP is associated with delayed development in extensive regions of the brain resulting in lower intelligence and decreased verbal abilities.

“Electronic Screen Syndrome”

Client experiences difficulties at

home/school/socially due to bio/psych/social/enviro

factors.

Stress and dysregulation ensue which effects mood,

learning, sleep, physical health & social

interactions.

Interactive screen time induces fight or flight

(hyperarousal) & overstimulation,

compounding stress.

Electronic Screen Syndrome

APA’s meta-analysis of 2015:Violent video game play is linked to

increased aggression in players. Insufficient evidence exists about

whether the link extends to criminal violence or delinquency.

Video Game Withdrawal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lNSTyABOgs

UCLA meta-analysis of 2009• In reviewing more than 50 studies on how

media effects the brain, Patricia Greenfield found:– Develops some cognitive skills at expense of

others– Visual-spatial skills improve dramatically– Decreased ability to process information deeply– Decreased inductive analysis & critical thinking– Impaired imagination and ability to reflect

Social Medianeurological benefits and impacts

L’Aquila, Italy earthquake of 2009

facebook• 82% of young adults maintain an active social media

account.• 1.44 Billion monthly active Facebook users• 70% are active daily, 43% several times per day• 62% of American adults use Facebook.• Facebook users are 53% female and 47% male.• There are 1.25 billion mobile active users• Smartphone users check facebook an average of 14

times per day• 48% of teens & young adults check facebook every

morning, 28% before they even get out of bed!

People have just gotta share!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soAk3F0wX9s

“Facebook Brain” = similar to brains of cocaine addicts but

with less inhibited impulsivity.

Other impacts of compulsive SM use

• The more time a woman spends on Facebook, the more likely she is to dislike her appearance.

• FOMO = Fear Of Missing Out• Depression and comparing one’s achievements to others go

hand in hand for young men.• Facebook addiction was a significant predictor of

narcissistic behavior and low levels of self-esteem among students.

• Negative correlation of psychological well-being among users that accessed Facebook for making new friends as opposed to those who use facebook for maintaining current friendships.

Screen-addicted brains show loss of white matter integrity

Hebb’s Rule:the neurons that fire together wire together.This also means that the neurons that DON’T fire together WON’T wire together

The Original “Jay-Z”

• J.Z. Young: proposed the idea of synaptic pruning during a BBC lecture in 1950

"If a teen is doing music or sports or academics, those are the cells and

connections that will be hardwired. If they're lying on the couch or playing video games or MTV, those are the

cells and connections that are going to survive.“

-Dr. Jay Giedd, from the National Institute of Mental Health

The role of wilderness therapy“May the Peace of the Wilderness be with you.”

Teens should be encouraged to get out more.

Wilderness therapy helps to realign

circadian rhythms

Some teens don’t know what true nutrition looks like. With technology out

of the way they are taught what nutrition truly means.

Wilderness invites mindfulness

Healing effects of nature

• After spending time in a quiet rural setting close to nature people exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition.

• Being close to nature helps boost a child’s attention span (Wells, 2000)

• Green outdoor spaces foster creative play, improve children’s access to positive adult interaction and relieves the symptoms of ADD (Taylor, 2001)

Healing effects of nature p.2

• Time in nature significantly improved people's performance on cognitive tests, indicating a substantial increase in peoples’ attentiveness. Spending time in the natural world seems to be of vital importance to affective cognitive function (Bergman, 2008)

• Gallbladder surgery patients who had a view of trees healed faster than those who did not (Frumkin, 2001).

• Children who live in high-nature conditions show less psychological distress during life stressors than kids in low-nature conditions (Wells, 2003)

Healing effects of nature p.3

Joggers who exercise in natural green settings feel more restored, less anxious, less angry, and less depressed than people who burn the same number of calories in gyms or other buildings (Pretty, 2005)

Wilderness promotes social success

• 5 days in a wilderness program improves client’s abilities to recognize nonverbal cues (Uhls, 2014).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is5W6GxAI3c

jcalder@outbacktreatment.com

(385) 315-9279

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