Neurobiological Mechanisms of Chess as an Add-On Treatment Against SUD

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The study aims to investigate the potential mechanism of action of chess as a "chess based - cognitive remediation treatment, CB-CRT" to reduce cognitive deficits in individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) seeking treatment using neurobiological and neuropsychological approaches. Furthermore, ...

The study aims to investigate the potential mechanism of action of chess as a "chess based - cognitive remediation treatment, CB-CRT" to reduce cognitive deficits in individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) seeking treatment using neurobiological and neuropsychological approaches. Furthermore, it will be assessed whether this chess intervention has a generalized positive effect on short-term abstinence. Interestingly, the functional domains and associated underlying neuronal networks observed to be affected in individuals with SUD overlap significantly with those that could be strengthened by chess-based cognitive training or formal chess. Specifically, strengthening of cortical control regions (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, DLPFC) and brain areas relevant for decision-making (orbitofrontal cortex, OFC) could prevent future relapse. Therefore, chess as an add-on therapy to complement other standard treatments of SUD could lead to improved therapeutic outcomes.

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