Reward-inhibitory control deficits and combined intervention in adolescents with internet gaming disorder

: According to the dual-system theory, addictive disorders stem from reward system overactivation and impaired inhibitory control function. However, prior research has mainly examined these systems in isolation or used general experimental paradigms, leaving the context-specific of dual-system deficits in adolescents with Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) unclear. Effective interventions simultaneously targeting both systems are also scarce. This study thus investigates the context-dependent deficits in reward and inhibitory control, along with the combined intervention effects, through two sub-studies. Study 1 employed questionnaires and behavioral experiments to compare the dual-system differences between Adolescents with IGD (N=144) and healthy adolescents (N=147). Results showed that adolescents with IGD exhibited significantly higher craving, shorter stop-signal delays (SSD), and longer stop-signal reaction times (SSRT) only in gaming-related contexts, with no significant differences for neutral conditions. These results indicate that the dual-system deficits in adolescents with IGD are gaming context-dependent. Based on these findings, Study 2 further developed a novel dual-system combined intervention to examine its effects in improving the dual systems of Adolescents with IGD at the behavioral level. Results demonstrated that the intervention group showed significant reductions in IGD scores and gaming cravings, and improved SSD in gaming contexts, whereas the control group exhibited no significant changes. These findings suggest that the combined intervention effectively reduces IGD severity and gaming cue-induced craving, while enhancing inhibitory control in gaming-related situations. This study identifies context-specific dual-system deficits in adolescents with IGD and validates a combined intervention strategy that simultaneously modulates reward processing and inhibitory control. It provides important insights for understanding the theoretical mechanisms of IGD and developing clinical interventions.