Electrical Brain Stimulation for College Students With Short-Form Video Addiction: Effects and Mechanisms
Effects and Mechanisms of High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) Intervention on Short-Form Video Addiction
The researchers will test whether high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) combined with real-time short-form video cue exposure can reduce addiction severity and daily usage time in college students with problematic short-form video use. By modulating the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, this study aims to explore whether the treatment improves executive function (such as self-control and risk decision-making) and emotional-cognitive processes (such as craving and attentional bias). Assessments will be conducted before, immediately after the 2-week intervention, and at a 4-week follow-up, using both subjective surveys and objective computer cognitive tasks. Results could pave the way for a low-cost, non-invasive, and scalable intervention strategy to address the growing public health concern of short-form video addiction among young adults.
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Over the past few years, problematic short-form video use has emerged as a significant public health concern among college students, associated with impaired executive function, academic decline, and emotional distress. Neuroimaging studies suggest that excessive short-form video consumption is linked to hypoactivity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), which disrupts the balance between cognitive control and reward-driven habits. However, evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions for short-form video addiction remain scarce.
This study builds upon the dual-pathway model of internet addiction and utilizes a high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) protocol with a 4x1 ring configuration targeting the right dlPFC (center anode with 4 surrounding return electrodes) to restore prefrontal control. Participants will receive 10 daily HD-tDCS sessions over 2 consecutive weeks. Crucially, to enhance the targeted therapeutic effect, participants will undergo concurrent cue exposure-watching short-form videos on their personal mobile phones for 12 minutes during each 15-minute active or sham HD-tDCS session.
This randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial (N=82) employs a longitudinal design with three assessment time points (baseline, post-intervention at week 2, and a 4-week follow-up). We hypothesize that active HD-tDCS will significantly reduce addiction symptoms and usage duration compared to sham. Furthermore, we propose a parallel mediation model to explore the underlying mechanisms: specifically, whether the intervention effect is mediated by improvements in executive function (response inhibition and risk decision-making) and emotional-cognitive pathways (reductions in craving and attentional bias). Results may inform the development of scalable, neuroplasticity-based interventions to mitigate digital addiction and promote mental well-being in young adults.
The sample size was determined a priori using G*Power software (version 3.1.9.7). Based on the effect size (Cohen's f = 0.35) derived from previous meta-analytic findings regarding multiple-session tDCS interventions, assuming an alpha error probability of 0.05, a statistical power of 0.80, 2 groups, and 3 repeated measurements (i.e., pre-test, post-test, and 4-week follow-up), a minimum total sample size of 82 participants is required.
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Contato de estudo
- Nome: Yue Yu
- Número de telefone: 86 + 17610481122
- E-mail: 202411061044@mail.bnu.edu.cn
Locais de estudo
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Beijing Municipality
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Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China, 100088
- Department of Psychology, Beijing Normal University
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Contato:
- Yue Yu, B.S.
- Número de telefone: +86 17610481122
- E-mail: 202411061044@mail.bnu.edu.cn
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Descrição
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age between 18 and 30 years.
- Currently enrolled as a university student.
- Right-handed.
- Meets the threshold for problematic short-form video use, as assessed by the Short-form Video Addiction Scale.
- Primary use: The participant's primary problematic internet use is short-form videos, rather than other behaviors such as online gaming.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosed psychiatric disorders.
- History of neurological disease or traumatic brain injury.
- History of epilepsy or a family history of epilepsy.
- Presence of medical implants (e.g., cardiac pacemakers, cochlear implants).
- Currently receiving pharmacological or psychological treatment.
- History of receiving any non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., tDCS, TMS, or tACS) within the past year.
- Any other contraindications to HD-tDCS (e.g., history of skin lesions/scalp conditions at the electrode sites) or severe physical diseases identified during safety screening.
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Como o estudo é projetado?
Detalhes do projeto
- Finalidade Principal: Tratamento
- Alocação: Randomizado
- Modelo Intervencional: Atribuição Paralela
- Mascaramento: Dobro
Armas e Intervenções
Grupo de Participantes / Braço |
Intervenção / Tratamento |
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Experimental: Active HD-tDCS Group
Participants receive active high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) using a NeuroConn stimulator. A 4x1 ring electrode configuration is applied: the center anodal (positive) electrode is placed over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F4), surrounded by four cathodal (negative) return electrodes. The stimulation is delivered at 1.5 mA for 15 minutes. Participants receive one session per day, 5 days per week, for 2 consecutive weeks. |
Description: Active HD-tDCS is delivered using a NeuroConn device with a 4x1 ring configuration (center anodal electrode over the right dlPFC, surrounded by 4 cathodal returns). The stimulation is delivered at 1.5 mA for 15 minutes. Participants receive 10 sessions over 2 consecutive weeks (5 days/week). Concurrently during the stimulation, participants watch short-form videos on their mobile phones for approximately 14-15 minutes (using the same platform identified at baseline). A pre-programmed active code ensures strict double-blinding. |
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Comparador Falso: Sham HD-tDCS Group
Participants receive sham HD-tDCS using the identical NeuroConn device, 4x1 ring electrode configuration, and procedure as the active group. The device delivers a brief current (ramped up and down over 30 seconds) at the beginning of the 15-minute session to mimic the initial skin sensation, but the current is turned off for the remainder of the session. Participants receive one session per day, 5 days per week, for 2 consecutive weeks. |
Description: Sham HD-tDCS uses the identical NeuroConn device and 4x1 ring configuration as the active group. The current is ramped up for 30 seconds and then turned off for the remainder of the 15-minute session to mimic the initial skin sensation. Participants receive 10 sessions over 2 consecutive weeks (5 days/week). Concurrently during the sham stimulation, participants watch short-form videos on their mobile phones for approximately 14-15 minutes (using the same platform identified at baseline). A pre-programmed sham code ensures strict double-blinding. |
O que o estudo está medindo?
Medidas de resultados primários
Medida de resultado |
Descrição da medida |
Prazo |
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Change in Short-form Video Addiction Scale Score
Prazo: Baseline (Pre-test), Week 2 (Post-test), and Follow-up at 4 weeks after the intervention
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Assessed using the 25-item Short-form Video Addiction Scale, which includes two dimensions: Addictive Dependence and Negative Consequence. Each item is scored on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). The total score ranges from 25 to 175. A higher score indicates a more severe level of short-form video addiction. |
Baseline (Pre-test), Week 2 (Post-test), and Follow-up at 4 weeks after the intervention
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Change in Average Daily Short-form Video Use Duration
Prazo: Baseline (Pre-test), Week 2 (Post-test), and Follow-up at 4 weeks after the intervention
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Self-reported average time (in minutes) spent watching short-form videos per day over the past week. A higher duration indicates more excessive use. |
Baseline (Pre-test), Week 2 (Post-test), and Follow-up at 4 weeks after the intervention
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Medidas de resultados secundários
Medida de resultado |
Descrição da medida |
Prazo |
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Change in Executive Function Composite Score (SSRT & BART)
Prazo: Baseline (Pre-test), Week 2 (Post-test), and Follow-up at 4 weeks after the intervention
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A composite executive function score will be derived using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) from two tasks: (1) Stop-Signal Reaction Time (SSRT) from the Stop-Signal Task, and (2) Adjusted Average Pumps (AAP) from the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). The factor score extracted from the EFA will serve as the composite indicator, accounting for the relative weighting of each measure. Factor scores will be oriented such that higher values indicate better overall executive function. |
Baseline (Pre-test), Week 2 (Post-test), and Follow-up at 4 weeks after the intervention
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Change in Emotion-Cognition Composite Score (Craving, ABS, ER)
Prazo: Baseline (Pre-test), Week 2 (Post-test), and Follow-up at 4 weeks after the intervention
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A composite emotion-cognition score will be derived using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) from three measures: (1) Craving Score, (2) Attentional Bias Score (ABS) from the dot-probe task, and (3) Emotion Regulation Score. The factor score extracted from the EFA will serve as the composite indicator to capture the shared variance among these measures. Factor scores will be oriented such that higher values indicate more favorable emotional-cognitive outcomes. |
Baseline (Pre-test), Week 2 (Post-test), and Follow-up at 4 weeks after the intervention
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Termos relacionados a este estudo
Palavras-chave
- Estimulação Transcraniana por Corrente Contínua
- Tomando uma decisão
- Teste controlado e aleatório
- Ânsia
- Função executiva
- Estudantes universitários
- Regulação Emocional
- Córtex pré-frontal dorsolateral
- Viés Atencional
- HD-tDCS
- Estimulação Transcraniana por Corrente Contínua de Alta Definição
- Inibição da resposta
- Short-form Video Addiction
Termos MeSH relevantes adicionais
Outros números de identificação do estudo
- BNU202610120439
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