(CNN) Brain scans of men addicted to online gaming show changes in the brain regions associated with impulsivity, new research presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America finds. But no brain alterations are seen in addicted women, said the authors of the small study who compared the scans of addicted men and women to healthy volunteers.

Internet gaming disorder , which was added to the 11th edition of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases for the first time in June, is diagnosed when an online gamer plays compulsively to the exclusion of other interests, including school and family life.

Generally, males may be more likely to become addicted to gaming, said Dr. Yawen Sun, the study's senior author and a diagnostic radiologist at Ren Ji Hospital, which is affiliated with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai.

"Males with IGD (Internet Gaming Disorder) were found to be more affected by genetic influences than females with IGD," Sun told CNN in an email. It may be the "high levels of testosterone" in male teens that contribute to some of the symptoms related to gaming addiction, she added, "such as taking greater risks, being less responsive to punishment, and exhibiting more aggressive behaviors."

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