Poker, Skills and Associated Problems (PERHAPS). Controlled Experimental Single Centre Study of Poker Players: Study of the Cognitive Mechanisms Underlying Poker Skills and of the Specificity of Poker-related Problems
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Nantes University Hospital
- Enrollment
- 113
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- inhibition performances
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The PERHAPS project aims to fill two gaps in the scientific literature: on the one hand, studying the clinical and cognitive particularities of poker-related problems, and on the other hand, studying poker skill as a combination of multiple cognitive and emotional abilities. The underlying clinical aim is to develop a cognitive remediation therapy program dedicated to pathological gamblers.
Detailed Description
In the literature, although compulsive poker players undoubtedly share similarities with the compulsive gamblers of other gambling games, clinicians have observed significant specificities in these patients, in terms of personality profile, gaming practices and associated troubles. These specificities could influence the effectiveness of treatment and prevention strategies in many ways. However, there are very few studies focused on the specific poker-related problems, particularly compared to other practices.
Furthermore, skill at poker has often been treated as a unique and general ability. This binary vision is now considered widely insufficient and most researchers recommend exploring the individual cognitive abilities at play in poker skill. To the investigators knowledge, no study has done this to date.
Consequently, the PERHAPS project aims to fill two gaps in the scientific literature: on the one hand, studying the clinical and cognitive particularities of poker-related problems, and on the other hand, studying poker skill as a combination of multiple cognitive and emotional abilities.
Three profiles of poker players will be studied, depending on their gambling practices and whether or not they are addicted: a control group of 30 non-poker players, a group of 30 expert unproblematic poker players, and a group of 30 pathological poker players.
The three groups will be compared with one another on:
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Non Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 59 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •18-59 years
- •good understanding of French, literate
- •correct level of vision and hearing
- •specific inclusion criteria for each group include frequency and length of poker practice, DSM-5 doagnostic criteria for gambling disorder
Exclusion Criteria
- •protected adults
- •important cognitive deficit (assessed by the MMSE)
- •psychotic syndrome whole life
- •other psychiatric disorders (mood disorders, anxiety disorders) and addictive disorders (disorders related to the use of alcoholic or other substances, excluding nicotine) that are present and not stabilized
- •unstable endocrine disorders
- •significant neurological disorders (such as head injuries (except mild), neurodegenerative diseases, unbalanced epilepsy, mental retardation, etc.)
- •psychoactive use (before participation)
- •color blindness
- •cardiac disorders
- •electronic implants
Arms & Interventions
non-poker players
(control group)
Intervention: cognitive, emotional and clinical assessment (Behavioral)
expert unproblematic poker players
(comparator)
Intervention: cognitive, emotional and clinical assessment (Behavioral)
pathological poker players
(comparator)
Intervention: cognitive, emotional and clinical assessment (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
inhibition performances
Time Frame: only one assessment so at baseline
Evaluation of inhibition at verbal level: Hayling sentence Completion Task Performances will be compared between pathological poker players and non-poker players (to identify cognitive deficits in pathological players compared to baseline level)
attention and emotional perception performances
Time Frame: only one assessment so at baseline
Modified Posner paradigm Performances will be compared between pathological poker players and non-poker players (to identify cognitive deficits in pathological players compared to baseline level) and between pathological poker players and expert unproblematic poker players (to identify cognitive deficits in pathological players compared to a gambler level)
mental flexibility performances
Time Frame: only one assessment so at baseline
Wisconsin Test (M-WCST) Performances will be compared between pathological poker players and non-poker players (to identify cognitive deficits in pathological players compared to baseline level) and between pathological poker players and expert unproblematic poker players (to identify cognitive deficits in pathological players compared to a gambler level)
Secondary Outcomes
- level of cognitive distortions,(only one assessment so at baseline)
- control attribution (locus of control)(only one assessment so at baseline)
- gambling course and habits(only one assessment so at baseline)
- level of social phobia(only one assessment so at baseline)
- motivation for gambling(only one assessment so at baseline)
- impulsivity profile(only one assessment so at baseline)
- psychiatric and addictive comorbidities(only one assessment so at baseline)
- coping and gambling related-damage(only one assessment so at baseline)