dr. david rosenberg shows us the results.ore treatment, after treatment. what is that telling you? >> he was completely shut down. when we talked with him here, he was exuberant. a different child. >> reporter: in california, brooke and her family work together on a sign of renewal, a fresh coat of paint. >> i'm wanting to start over and make my room more positive. i think if i can take my story and make other people think about things before they do it and help them to make a better life. i think that's really important to me. >> reporter: and then it's time for brooke to return to rehab. she's done well on this trial visit, but there's more to treating those underlying issues than simply taking her phone away. >> yeah, this is the worst day of the whole trip. every time. sad that she's leaving, but super happy that, you know, she'll be back soon. >> reporter: it may be a sign of her recovery that saying good-bye to her mom is harder than ever. do you feel like you have your daughter back? >> no. i have the new and improved

dr. david rosenberg. his theory, yet to be proven, is that excessive gaming may change brain activity. >> you press the response pad for the letter "m." >> reporter: dr. rosenberg highlighted areas in red he says represent brain activity involving memory, attention, and decision-making. josh's brain scans are troubling. >> this is the brain processing center of the brain. there should be much more activity. >> there should be more red? >> more red. >> you looked at this and thought, this is a kid in trouble? >> this is a kid in trouble. >> reporter: his parents decide to take a drastic step. >> it's kind of stupid. i just play video games and i have to go to rehab for it? >> reporter: they send him into the utah wilderness and a program called "unplugged" at outback therapeutic expeditions. he and a group of boys will camp for weeks in this rugged terrain. there is no running water, no electricity, no screens. the only thing that glows in the dark, a campfire and the moon. josh isn't the only one in need