Neurofeedback for Internet Gaming Addiction

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Internet Gaming Disorder
• Interventions: Device: Neurofeedback training; Device: Sham feedback training

• Registration Number: NCT06063642
• Lead Sponsor: University of Macau

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.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-05-31
• Status Verified: 2023-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-09-29
• Study First Posted: 2023-10-02
• Study Start: 2023-10-15
• Primary Completion: 2024-02-20
• Study Completion: 2024-03-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-07-28
• Last Update Posted: 2024-07-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 20

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

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Experimental neurofeedback intervention	Neurofeedback training	In an approximately 30-minute training session, participants receive activity feedback from a midbrain region involved in reward processing and gaming addiction. Feedback will be presented in the form of a thermometer/bar in the middle of the screen and updated every two seconds. They will be trained to down-regulate the activity in this region with the help of this feedback using cognitive strategies. This down-regulation training is believed to be beneficial to addictive behaviors by the investigators.
Sham feedback intervention	Sham feedback training	In an approximately 30-minute training session, participants receive activity feedback from a brain region irrelevant to reward processing or gaming addictive behavior. The feedback presentation form and task instructions will be the same as for the experimental group. Based on the functional role of the feedback region, the investigators do not believe this feedback training will change the addictive behaviors of the participants who receive this intervention.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
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 Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
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.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau; 🇲🇴 Taipa, Macau