Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42572071›Full record

Trial reportEuropean archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience2026

Efficacy of a high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for craving reduction in adolescents with gaming disorder: a 4-week randomized control trial with 24-week follow-up.

Chuanwei Li, Xuqin Wang, Feng Zhu, Ning Cheng, Longjun Zhu, Xiaoyun Dai, Huan Jiang, Na Zhong, Xiaobin Zhang, Wenxi Sun and 1 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Chuanwei Li *Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215031, Jiangsu, China.
Xuqin Wang *Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Feng ZhuSuzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Ning ChengSuzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Longjun ZhuSuzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Xiaoyun DaiSuzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215031, Jiangsu, China.
Huan JiangSuzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Na ZhongShanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China.
Xiaobin ZhangSuzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0577-5951
Wenxi Sun *Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. wenxi_sun@126.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8944-2934
Xiangdong Du *Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. xiangdong-du@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9263-0178

Funding

STI2030-major projects 2022ZD0211100
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWith the widespread popularity of online gaming, gaming addiction has come under scrutiny. While there is ongoing research on the diagnosis and treatment of gaming disorder among adolescents, the clinical robustness and reliability of intervention strategies remain uncertain.

methodsA 4-week, double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of noninvasive, high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in alleviating psychological craving in adolescents diagnosed with gaming disorder. Sham rTMS was administered to the control group using the tilted-coil method. Both groups of participants were treated with SSRI medications. A total of 80 adolescents with gaming disorder participated in this study, and 73 ultimately completed the 24-week follow-up. The primary outcome was the change in craving levels before and after the rTMS intervention, as assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes included changes in anxiety and depression levels before and after the intervention, as assessed by the HAMA and HAMD.

resultsWe assessed levels of psychological craving, anxiety, and depression among adolescents with gaming disorder at baseline, after completing a 4-week intervention, and at a 24-week follow-up post-intervention. Our repeated-measures MANOVA results, adjusted for course variables, revealed a significant main effect of rTMS intervention on psychological craving levels in adolescents addicted to online games (F

conclusionOur findings indicate that high-frequency rTMS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may be a promising approach for reducing psychological craving in adolescents with gaming disorder.

trial registrationChiCTR2500102979 in chictr.org.cn, registered on May 22, 2025.

Indexed as

Behavior, AddictiveCravingInternet Addiction DisorderTranscranial Magnetic StimulationVideo GamesAdolescentAnxietyDepressionDouble-Blind MethodFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMalePsychiatric Status Rating ScalesTreatment OutcomeAdolescentsAnxietyDepressionGaming disorderrTMS

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.