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Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Patients Suffering From Pathological Use of Internet Gaming

NCT04120714 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 50

Last updated 2026-04-13

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The Internet has grown considerably in the last twenty years, and as a result, cases of excessive iinterney use have emerged. These cases, which have clinical similarities with substance addiction, involve the various activities related to the Internet (online gambling, discussion forums, online networking, e-mail, pornography, shopping, etc.). However, to date, only the pathological use of Internet gaming (PUIG) is referenced in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, section III).

In PUIG, an individual loses control when gambling online. He/she typically spends 8 to 10 hours on this activity, sometimes without eating or sleeping. Usual obligations, such as school or work, or family obligations are neglected. PUIG can cause great psychological and social suffering. Neurological complications (epilepsy) and deaths (cardiac arrest) related to PUIG have also been reported. These situations are all the more dramatic because they often affect adolescents and young adults. In Asia, PUIG has become a public health problem. To date, no treatment has been validated for this disorder.

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques can modulate neural activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). This modulation makes it possible to reduce addictive behaviours through different mechanisms (reduction of craving, impulsivity, and decision-making disorders). These techniques could be effective for PUIG.

Conditions

  • Pathological Use of Internet Games

Interventions

DEVICE

Active tDCS

active D.C. transcranial stimulation (delivers a low current (1 to 2 mA)) for 10 to 30 minutes, during 5 sessions

DEVICE

Placebo tDCS

inactive DC transcranial stimulation (delivering a non-significant current at the beginning and end of the stimulation, simulating active stimulation) for 10 to 30 minutes, during 5 sessions

OTHER

Questionnaires

* visual analogue scale (VAS) * impulsivity scale: Barratt Impulsiveness Scale - version 11 (BIS-11) * Decision-making scales: Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) * Go-No go test * HAM-D scale * SF-12 quality of life scale

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
12 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2020-01-06
Primary Completion
2027-11-30
Completion
2027-11-30

Countries

  • France

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04120714 on ClinicalTrials.gov