Video Game-Brain Functioning Reversibility Study

NCT00700453 | Unknown DMC

• 1 other identifier: 0804-07
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

1. 1.Young adults who are exposed to 7-10 days of play of violent video games will show reduced activation in certain regions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex.
2. 2.Young adults who are exposed to 7-10 days of violent video games will show increased activation in regions of the amygdala.
3. 3.Young adults who abstain from violent video games for a week, after 7-10 days of play of violent video games, will show increased activation of regions in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex and decreased activation of the amygdala, on pre-post fMRI and compared to young adults who continue to play violent video games.
4. 4.Young adults who complete a computerized attention-training program after 7-10 days of violent video games will show increased activation of regions in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex and decreased activation of the amygdala, on pre-post fMRI and compared to young adults who continue to play violent video games.

Conditions

Brain Functioning and Violent Video Game Play

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

  Completed at visit 2, 3, and 4 (each visit 7-10 days apart)

Study Arms (4)

Control 1 Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Subjects randomized to the Control 1 group will abstain from playing any video games for the entire study participation.

Behavioral: Control group with no video game play

VG1- Control 2 Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Subjects randomized to the Control 2 group will play a selected violent video game for 60-120 minutes/day during week 2 of the study and will abstain from any video game play during week 3 of the study.

Behavioral: control 2

VG1- VG2 group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Subjects randomized for VG1-VG2 group will play 60-120 minutes/day of a violent video game during weeks 2 \& 3 of study participation.

Behavioral: VG1 group (2 weeks of violent video game play)

VG1-CT group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Subjects randomized to the VG1-CT group will play 60-120 minutes of a selected violent video game during week 2 of the study and play a selected computerized cognitive training program for 60-120 minutes/day during week 3 of the study.

Behavioral: Cognitive Training

Interventions

Control group with no video game play BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will abstain from all video game play during study participation.

Also known as: Control 1 group

Control 1 Group

control 2 BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will play 1 week of violent video game play followed by 1 week of no video game play.

Also known as: Control 2 group

VG1- Control 2 Group

VG1 group (2 weeks of violent video game play) BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will play a violent video game for 2 weeks of study participation.

Also known as: VG1-VG2

VG1- VG2 group

Cognitive Training BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will play a violent video game for 1 week followed by 1 week of Cognitive Training program.

Also known as: VG1-CT group

VG1-CT group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 29 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Have K-BIT-2 Matrices IQ\>70.
• Must be 18-29 years old for the entire study.
• Only males will participate in the study.
• Must be judged by the investigator to be reliable and cooperative for clinic visits and procedures.
• Must speak English, be proficient in spoken and written English, and have an educational level and understanding of English required to complete all tests and questionnaires. This is important because some of the tests require automatic and rapid processing of written English.
• Must have a baseline level of violent video game play averaging less than or equal to 2 hours per week in the year prior to the study, and must have a baseline level of total video game play averaging less than or equal to 5 hours per week in the year prior to the study. These values are based on research by Kronenberger et al. (2005a) showing that nonviolent control adolescent subjects averaged about 2-3 hours of video game play in a week (of which 1-2 hours are spent with violent video games), compared to aggressive adolescent subjects, who averaged about 4-7 hours of video game play per week (of which 3-4 hours are spent with violent video games). Green and Bavalier (2003) based their selection criteria for "action video game players" (VGP) on an average of 1 hour per day for 4 days a week of violent/action video game play and found differences between the VGP group and a non-VGP group on visual processing. It is important to select subjects who are not frequent game players in order for the experimental manipulation (8-16 hours of violent video game play) to be different from their baseline behavioral habits.
• Must be willing to make lifestyle changes about media habits during the 3-5 week duration of the study.
• Must have basic level of proficiency with computer to load and play video games.

You may not qualify if:

• Organic brain conditions or seizure disorder (history of febrile seizures with no neurological sequelae is acceptable).
• Any physical condition or risk that would preclude or invalidate an MRI.
• Any current mental health diagnosis (other than Adjustment Disorder), based on the Adult Inventory - 4 and follow-up questions from the interviewer, which would be defined as moderate or more severe using the Clinical Global Index - Severity.
• Treatment of a behavioral or emotional problem (excluding normal adjustment issues, such as adjustment to divorce) by a mental health professional in the past year.
• Any historical diagnoses of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia (or other disorder involving psychosis), Personality Disorders, or Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
• Any history of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia (or other disorder involving psychosis), Personality Disorders, or Pervasive Developmental Disorders in first degree relatives (mother, father, siblings, children).
• Current diagnosis of Substance Abuse or Dependence
• Use of psychotropic medication for treatment of a mental or behavioral disorder at any time in the study or in the year prior to the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Indiana University: lead
• The Center for Successful Parenting Video Research Center: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Radiology-- Research 2 building

Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States

Location

Riley Outpatient Center Rm 4300

Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States

Location

Related Links

• Indiana University; Department of Psychiatry

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Control Groups; Cognitive Training

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Epidemiologic Research Design; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Research Design; Methods; Neurological Rehabilitation; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Patient Care; Therapeutics; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Study Officials

• Vincent P Mathews, MD

  Indiana University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2008
• First Posted: June 18, 2008
• Study Start: July 1, 2008
• Primary Completion: March 1, 2011
• Study Completion: December 1, 2018
• Last Updated: May 3, 2012

Record last verified: 2012-04

Locations

US (2)