Internet Gaming Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
neurofeedback, behavior addiction
Brief summary
The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic potential of real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) neurofeedback in alleviating internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms by training individuals with such symptoms to down-regulate the activity in their reward-processing-related midbrain regions.
Interventions
DEVICENeurofeedback training
Neurofeedback training is a type of non-invasive brain modulation technique that enables individuals to self-regulate brain activity patterns by providing them feedback on specific activity measures. Effective self-regulation is often linked to changes in cognition, behavior, and clinical symptoms.
DEVICESham feedback training
A controlled form of neurofeedback training that provides feedback irrelevant to the targeted mental process.
Sponsors
University of Macau
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
All participants will be blind to the intervention group assignment until they complete the entire study procedure. An outcome assessor who is blind to this assignment will collect the primary outcome measurement data.
Intervention model description
Eligible candidates will be randomly assigned to either receive the experimental feedback intervention or sham feedback intervention.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 28 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Meet at least five of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth edition (DSM-5) criteria for IGD and score 38 or above on the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) * First language is Chinese (Mandarin) * Right-handed * Have played the mobile game King of Glory for more than 3 years * Ability to give informed consent * Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
Exclusion criteria
* Any primary diagnosis of a current psychological or neurological disorder * Any history of psychological or neurological disorder * Any MRI contraindication * Currently on a psychotropic medication * Any history of substance dependence * Any history of brain injury or surgery
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change from Baseline in self-reported urge for internet gaming as assessed by Visual Analog Scales (1 to 100) | Up to 30 days after the intervention session |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in reward-related activity during exposure to internet gaming videos | Up to 3 days | Participants will complete cue-reactivity tasks in which they are exposed to video clips captured from the dependent mobile game before and after the intervention. Functional MRI data will be collected to measure their pre- to post-intervention changes in the brain reward processing pathways. |
| Change in inhibitory response in the affective Go/Nogo task | Up to 3 days | This task that uses affective Chinese characters as stimuli will be used to examine changes in inhibitory control performance as well as changes in brain activity associated with this cognitive process pre- to post-intervention. |
Countries
Macau
Outcome results
None listed