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Social connection as medicine: a brain-training trial for gaming addiction

NCT ID NCT06957392

Disease control Sponsor: The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 22, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether a self-help program that enhances social reward can improve cognitive control in people with internet gaming disorder. The program, based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, includes social scenario practice and skills training. Researchers will use brain scans to see if changes in a key brain circuit (dACC-DLPFC) accompany any improvements. The study involves 60 adults aged 18–35 who play Honor of Kings heavily.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a systematic self-help training program designed to enhance social reward, based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a non-drug treatment for internet gaming disorder that strengthens social connections and self-control.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with 60 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The training requires active participation, and benefits may vary.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 60 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jan 2026

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 35 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Individuals aged between 18 and 35 years, irrespective of gender, having completed a minimum of 9 years of education and capable of effectively cooperating in questionnaire evaluations. * Consent to actively cooperate in the completion of subsequent follow-up assessments. * All are right-handed * The Gaming Disorder Screening (GDSS) Scale score ≥ 47 points; * The main game played is Honor of Kings; Average weekly gaming time (Honor of Kings) greater than 21 hours, maintained for over one year; More than 50% of daily internet time spent playing online games; Exclusion Criteria: * Severe cognitive functional impairments manifested through a history of head trauma, cerebrovascular diseases, epilepsy, etc., or usage of cognitive enhancement drugs in the past 6 months; an intellectual disability with an IQ score less than 70. * A diagnosis of schizophrenia or other severe mental illnesses as per the DSM-5 criteria. * Abuse or dependence on other psychoactive substances (excluding nicotine) within the past 5 years. * Severe organic diseases that might compromise study participation. * Color blindness or color weakness

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Internet Addiction Disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Internet gaming disorder

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Bengbu Medical University

    RECRUITING

    Bengbu, China

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