High Working Memory Load to Reduce Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) Cravings

High Working Memory Load to Reduce IGD Cravings: N-Back Task

To test whether high working memory load can effectively reduce the craving for IGD.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Internet Gaming Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: n-back task

Detailed Description

This project is to use 1-back task and 3-back task to reduce the craving of internet gamers. To test whether high working memory load can effectively reduce the craving for IGD. This project will be conducted in Beijing, China, based on a large sample of internet gamers.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Beijing
    • Beijing, Beijing, China, 100875
      • State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 30 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• The scores of the 9 items of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition(DSM-5) recommended diagnosis for Internet gaming disorder ≥ 5.
• Engagement in popular Internet games (e.g. Arena of Valor, League of Legends and Player Unknown's Battle Grounds) for over 20 hours per week for a minimum of 12 months.
• The scores of theYoung-Internet Addiction Test(Y-IAT) ≥ 50

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current or history of use of illegal substances and gambling;
• Current or history of psychiatric or neurological illness;
• Current use of psychotropic medications.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: DOUBLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: High Working memory load: n-back task; During the intervention, each participant of this group will finish the 3-back task.	Behavioral: n-back task; All participants will be asked to finish the 3-back task and the 1-back task. The 3-back task and the 1-back task will be carried out at intervals to avoid the influence between different tasks. The sequence of the 3-back task and the 1-back task will be counterbalanced across participants.
EXPERIMENTAL: Low Working memory load: n-back task; During the intervention, each participant of this group will finish the 1-back task.	Behavioral: n-back task; All participants will be asked to finish the 3-back task and the 1-back task. The 3-back task and the 1-back task will be carried out at intervals to avoid the influence between different tasks. The sequence of the 3-back task and the 1-back task will be counterbalanced across participants.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The craving of internet gamers	The craving of internet gamers is measured by a single item Visual Analogue Scale with 1 to 7 likert score.	0-1 minutes before each set of cue
The craving of internet gamers after cue	The craving of internet gamers is measured by a single item Visual Analogue Scale with 1 to 7 likert score.	0-1 minutes after showing cue
The craving of internet gamers after tasks	The craving of internet gamers is measured by a single item Visual Analogue Scale with 1 to 7 likert score.	0-1 minutes after finishing each block of tasks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Beijing Normal University
• Investigators: Study Director: Jin-Tao Zhang, PhD, Study Principal Investigator

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Kaag AM, Goudriaan AE, De Vries TJ, Pattij T, Wiers RW. A high working memory load prior to memory retrieval reduces craving in non-treatment seeking problem drinkers. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2018 Mar;235(3):695-708. doi: 10.1007/s00213-017-4785-4. Epub 2017 Nov 27.
• May J, Andrade J, Panabokke N, Kavanagh D. Visuospatial tasks suppress craving for cigarettes. Behav Res Ther. 2010 Jun;48(6):476-85. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2010.02.001. Epub 2010 Feb 7.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ANTICIPATED): March 10, 2019
• Primary Completion (ANTICIPATED): May 31, 2019
• Study Completion (ANTICIPATED): August 31, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 1, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 7, 2019
• First Posted (ACTUAL): March 11, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): March 12, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 10, 2019
• Last Verified: March 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Compulsive Behavior; Impulsive Behavior; Behavior, Addictive; Internet Addiction Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: Working memory

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No