Clinical trial NCT02590211: Poker, Skills and Associated Problems
Official title: 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
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Pathological Gambling
Keywords: experimental study
cognitive mechanisms
poker
cognitive remediation therapy
Lead sponsor: Nantes University Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2015-10-28
Enrollment: 113
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 59
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

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:

* Cognitive and emotional abilities (for expert players) or deficits (for pathological gamblers)
* Clinical particularities of poker-related problems

Secondarily (ancillary study), pathological poker gamblers will be compared with pathological gamblers of other gambling games (pure chance games n=30 and quasi-skill games n=30).

The PERHAPS project aims to improve knowledge of gambling addiction, particularly as regards poker, in order to optimise prevention and care strategies. The clinical aim is especially to construct a cognitive remediation therapy program. It also intends to discuss the legal framework applied to poker under the gambling regulation.

Eligibility criteria: 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

Primary outcomes:
measure: attention and emotional perception performances
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: mental flexibility performances
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: inhibition performances
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: inhibition performances
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: inhibition performances
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
Secondary outcomes:
measure: gambling course and habits
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: control attribution (locus of control)
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: level of cognitive distortions,
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: level of social phobia
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: motivation for gambling
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: impulsivity profile
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: psychiatric and addictive comorbidities
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
measure: coping and gambling related-damage
timeFrame: only one assessment so at baseline
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Nantes
country: France
facility: CHU de Nantes
Study officials:
References: