Chatbot Intervention Effects on Social and Monetary Incentive Processing in Anhedonia
7 luglio 2026 aggiornato da: Benjamin Becker, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Effects of a Chatbot-Based Intervention on Behavioral Responsiveness and Neural Anticipation of Social and Monetary Incentives in Individuals With Anhedonia
The main aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of a Motivational Interviewing-based artificial intelligence chatbot on social incentive processing in college students with elevated levels of depression and anhedonia by combining a randomized active-control intervention design with pre- and post-intervention Social Incentive Delay Task assessments during fMRI.
Panoramica dello studio
Stato
Reclutamento
Condizioni
Intervento / Trattamento
Descrizione dettagliata
Anhedonia represents a core characteristic of depression and is characterized by reduced experience of pleasure. It is closely related to decreased motivation, altered reward processing, changes in affective responsiveness, and alterations in intrinsic brain network function. Anhedonia is not specifically targeted by currently available pharmacological interventions. Initial evidence indicates that an increased willingness to change and implementation of change in daily life can alleviate anhedonia.
The present study aims to examine whether a Motivational Interviewing-based AI chatbot can lead to changes in social incentive processing in college students with elevated anhedonia and depressive symptoms. Social incentive processing is included because social approval, social feedback, and interpersonal reward are important sources of motivation in daily life and may be altered in individuals with elevated anhedonia. The Social Incentive Delay Task allows the study to examine behavioral and neural responses during the anticipation and receipt of social incentives. To this end, eligible participants with a total score of 22 or higher on the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale and a score of 14 or higher on the Beck Depression Inventory will undergo a randomized, between-subjects, active-control intervention study. Participants will be assigned to either a Motivational Interviewing-based chatbot group or an active control chatbot group for 1 week. Pre- and post-intervention assessments will include self-report questionnaires and the Social Incentive Delay Task during functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine psychological, behavioral, and neural effects of the intervention.
Tipo di studio
Interventistico
Iscrizione (Stimato)
80
Fase
- Non applicabile
Contatti e Sedi
Questa sezione fornisce i recapiti di coloro che conducono lo studio e informazioni su dove viene condotto lo studio.
Contatto studio
- Nome: Benjamin Becker, Dr
- Numero di telefono: (852) 3917-5097
- Email: bbecker@hku.hk
Luoghi di studio
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Sichuan
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Chengdu, Sichuan, Cina
- Reclutamento
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
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Criteri di partecipazione
I ricercatori cercano persone che corrispondano a una certa descrizione, chiamata criteri di ammissibilità. Alcuni esempi di questi criteri sono le condizioni generali di salute di una persona o trattamenti precedenti.
Criteri di ammissibilità
Età idonea allo studio
- Adulto
Accetta volontari sani
Sì
Descrizione
Inclusion Criteria:
- 18-40 years
- Right-handed
- Normal or corrected normal visual acuity
- Participants must show elevated anhedonia and depressive symptoms at screening, defined as a total score of 22 or higher on the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale and a score of 14 or higher on the Beck Depression Inventory
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of major central nervous system disorders, such as epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke, or brain tumors.
- History of severe mental illness, including schizophrenia spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, or other psychotic disorders.
- History of substance or alcohol use disorder or substance or alcohol misuse within the past 12 months that may affect study participation or outcome assessment.
- Individuals currently at high risk of suicide, severe self-harm, or experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis.
- Individuals who are currently using psychiatric medications or have undergone psychotherapy within the past 4 weeks that may significantly affect mood, motivation, or reward processing.
- Severe vision or hearing impairments that cannot be corrected and would interfere with task performance.
- Contraindications to MRI scanning, including metallic implants, pacemakers, severe claustrophobia, or other conditions incompatible with MRI.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Piano di studio
Questa sezione fornisce i dettagli del piano di studio, compreso il modo in cui lo studio è progettato e ciò che lo studio sta misurando.
Come è strutturato lo studio?
Dettagli di progettazione
- Scopo principale: Scienza basilare
- Assegnazione: Randomizzato
- Modello interventistico: Assegnazione parallela
- Mascheramento: Doppio
Armi e interventi
Gruppo di partecipanti / Arm |
Intervento / Trattamento |
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Sperimentale: Motivational Interviewing-based AI chatbot group
Motivational Interviewing-based AI chatbot intervention
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The experimental chatbot is designed to use principles of Motivational Interviewing to support participants in exploring their personal values, motivation for change, and daily behavioral goals related to pleasure, engagement, and reward-seeking.
During the intervention period, participants will interact with the chatbot regularly through brief text-based conversations.
The chatbot will provide empathic, non-judgmental responses, encourage reflection on current difficulties, and help participants identify small, feasible actions that may increase daily engagement and positive experiences.
It will not provide diagnosis, crisis counseling, or medical treatment.
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Comparatore attivo: Active control chatbot group
Active control nature-story chatbot intervention
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Participants will interact with a chatbot matched in format and frequency of use.
This chatbot will provide neutral nature-related stories or general natural history content.
It will be designed to maintain participant engagement while avoiding therapeutic techniques, motivational interviewing strategies, behavioral activation guidance, or personalized mental health advice.
This active control condition will help control for nonspecific effects of chatbot interaction, attention, expectancy, and digital engagement.
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Cosa sta misurando lo studio?
Misure di risultato primarie
Misura del risultato |
Misura Descrizione |
Lasso di tempo |
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Neural Activity During Social Incentive Anticipation
Lasso di tempo: Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention.
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Participants will undergo task-based BOLD fMRI while completing the Social Incentive Delay Task.
Neural responses during the anticipation of social incentive cues will be compared with responses to neutral cues using a general linear model.
Pre-to-post intervention changes will be evaluated from the resulting beta contrast estimates.
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Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention.
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Neural Activity During Monetary Incentive Anticipation
Lasso di tempo: Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention.
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Task-based BOLD fMRI data will be acquired while participants perform the Monetary Incentive Delay Task.
Neural responses associated with the anticipation of monetary reward and punishment will be estimated using a general linear model.
Beta contrast estimates will be calculated for monetary reward versus neutral and monetary punishment versus neutral conditions.
These estimates will be used to assess changes between baseline and post-intervention.
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Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention.
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Misure di risultato secondarie
Misura del risultato |
Misura Descrizione |
Lasso di tempo |
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Behavioral Responsiveness to Social Incentive Cues
Lasso di tempo: Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention.
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Reaction time, accuracy, and hit rate will be calculated separately for social incentive cue conditions and neutral cue conditions in the Social Incentive Delay Task before and after the intervention.
Behavioral differences between social incentive and neutral cue conditions will also be derived and compared from baseline to post-intervention.
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Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention.
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Behavioral responsiveness to monetary incentives
Lasso di tempo: Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention.
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The Monetary Incentive Delay Task will be administered before and after the intervention.
Reaction time, accuracy, and hit rate will be extracted separately for monetary incentive cue conditions and neutral cue conditions, and changes in behavioral differences between monetary incentive and neutral cue conditions will be calculated.
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Baseline before the first chatbot interaction and Week 1 after completion of the chatbot intervention.
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Collaboratori e investigatori
Qui è dove troverai le persone e le organizzazioni coinvolte in questo studio.
Studiare le date dei record
Queste date tengono traccia dell'avanzamento della registrazione dello studio e dell'invio dei risultati di sintesi a ClinicalTrials.gov. I record degli studi e i risultati riportati vengono esaminati dalla National Library of Medicine (NLM) per assicurarsi che soddisfino specifici standard di controllo della qualità prima di essere pubblicati sul sito Web pubblico.
Studia le date principali
Inizio studio (Stimato)
20 giugno 2026
Completamento primario (Stimato)
30 giugno 2028
Completamento dello studio (Stimato)
31 dicembre 2028
Date di iscrizione allo studio
Primo inviato
17 giugno 2026
Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità
22 giugno 2026
Primo Inserito (Effettivo)
24 giugno 2026
Aggiornamenti dei record di studio
Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)
9 luglio 2026
Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC
7 luglio 2026
Ultimo verificato
1 giugno 2026
Maggiori informazioni
Termini relativi a questo studio
Parole chiave
Altri numeri di identificazione dello studio
- BAM_lab_MI_03
Piano per i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)
Hai intenzione di condividere i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)?
NO
Descrizione del piano IPD
Corresponding individual level data will be made available upon request.
Informazioni su farmaci e dispositivi, documenti di studio
Studia un prodotto farmaceutico regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti
No
Studia un dispositivo regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti
No
Queste informazioni sono state recuperate direttamente dal sito web clinicaltrials.gov senza alcuna modifica. In caso di richieste di modifica, rimozione o aggiornamento dei dettagli dello studio, contattare register@clinicaltrials.gov. Non appena verrà implementata una modifica su clinicaltrials.gov, questa verrà aggiornata automaticamente anche sul nostro sito web .