Overview
The investigators assume that transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) could improve gambling disorder patients' executive-control function by adjusting the synchronization patterns and enhancing the functional connectivity of the prefrontal-ventral striatum pathway. This study intends to test the effect of tACS treatment. Three-month follow-up assessment will be conducted to test the changing of the executive-control function and its mechanism.
Description
Gambling disorder is become a major social and public health problem in China. Executive-control dysfunction is the main symptom of behavioral addiction like gambling disorder. Previous studies have demonstrated the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and prefrontal-ventral striatum pathway. Studies have shown that abnormal phase synchronization and phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) induced the impairment of cognition, and transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) could improve executive-control function by adjusting the abnormal synchronization. However, it has not been verified among gambling disorder patients. The investigators assume that tACS could improve gambling disorder patients' executive-control function by adjusting the synchronization patterns and enhancing the functional connectivity of the prefrontal-ventral striatum pathway. This study intends to test the effect of tACS treatment. Three-month follow-up assessment will be conducted to test the changing of the executive-control function and its mechanism. This study will provide a practical and theoretical basis for developing a novel treatment for gambling disorder.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Aged 18-60, male or female, with 9 or more years of education, and able to complete questionnaire evaluation and behavioral tests
- Meet DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders，DSM) diagnostic criteria for gambling disorder
- Have gambled for at least one year (at least once a week)
- Normal vision and hearing, or within the normal range after correction
- Agree to cooperate in the follow-up evaluation
- No metal implantation in the head, no history of nerve problems or head injury, and no skin sensitivity
Exclusion Criteria:
- Have severe cognitive impairment, such as a history of head trauma, cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy, etc.
- Have used drugs promoting cognitive function in the last 6 months
- Have impaired intelligence (Intelligence Quotient<70)
- Abuse or dependence of psychoactive substances (except nicotine) in the last 5 years