Adjunctive Game Intervention for Anhedonia in MDD Patients

Central South University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Depression

Treatments: Drug: Escitalopram; Behavioral: Game intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04977232

LYG2021038

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a pilot study using game intervention as an adjuvant treatment, to evaluate the effect of the video game on anhedonia and associated functional change of brain in patients with depression. Participants will be randomized to Experimental group receiving a 8-week treatment of antidepressant drugs and game intervention, or Control group receiving a 8-week treatment of antidepressant drugs. Magnetic resonance imaging scanning and assessment of clinical characteristics and cognitive function were conducted before and after the intervention.

Full description

Depression is a serious mental health problem that affects millions of people globally. Anhedonia, a core symptom of depression, is the loss of pleasure or interest in enjoyable activities. The presence of anhedonia is a risk factor of poor outcome of depression. Although some patients reach remission after treatment, anhedonia still persists as a residual symptom. It is generally believed that the frontal-striatal pathway plays an important role in the reward system of brain in patients with depression. The mechanism of anhedonia is closely related to the function of the brain's reward system dopamine. There have been some research showed benefits of playing video games on brain. Video games can modulate negative emotions and increase positive feelings. Previous studies have confirmed that playing games will activate the release of dopamine in striatum. "Dancing Line" is a commercial music game. Participants need to change the direction of target according to the music by tapping the screen and manage to finish the routes and get the gems along the route as much as possible. Sometimes the view of participants would change during the game. The game is simple for participants to pick up and there is no need for prior gaming experience. The main purpose of the study is to explore the effect of game as an adjuvant treatment on anhedonia, depressive symptoms, cognitive function and associated functional change of brain in patients with depression.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder according to DSM IV or V and validated via Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.)
• right handedness
• capability of understanding and finishing self-rating scales
• capability of providing informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• any other major psychiatric disorders following DSM-5 diagnostic criteria
• neurological diseases
• a history of drug abuse
• suicidal risk
• pregnancy
• any contraindication for brain MRI scan.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

50 participants in 2 patient groups

Escitalopram + game intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Escitalopram treatment and game intervention are given in combinations for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Game intervention

Drug: Escitalopram

Escitalopram

Active Comparator group

Description:

Escitalopram treatment for 8 weeks

Treatment:

Drug: Escitalopram