Cognitive Control as a Brake on the Depression–Internet Addiction Link: Task-Based fMRI Evidence from Activation and Task-Modulated Functional Connectivity

Internet addiction is closely associated with negative emotions such as depression, and cognitive control has been proposed to moderate this relationship. However, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Using a publicly available fMRI dataset, this study examined whether cognitive control-related brain activation and task-modulated functional connectivity (TMFC) moderate the association between depressive symptoms and Internet addiction. Thirty-four participants completed a global–local attention allocation task during fMRI, the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and Beck Depression Inve