Neurofeedback for Internet Gaming Addiction

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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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.

Official Title
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Real-time Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Neurofeedback Treatment for Young Adults With Internet Gaming Addiction

Conditions
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Internet Gaming Disorder

Intervention / Treatment
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* Device: Neurofeedback training
* Device: Sham feedback training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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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

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 28 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Eligible candidates will be randomly assigned to either receive the experimental feedback intervention or sham feedback intervention.
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Experimental neurofeedback intervention<br>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. | Device: Neurofeedback training<br>* 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.<br>|
| Sham Comparator: Sham feedback intervention<br>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. | Device: Sham feedback training<br>* A controlled form of neurofeedback training that provides feedback irrelevant to the targeted mental process.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | 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 Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in reward-related activity during exposure to internet gaming videos | 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. | Up to 3 days | 
| Change in inhibitory response in the affective Go/Nogo task | 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. | Up to 3 days | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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neurofeedback, behavior addiction