Neural Basis of Enhanced Executive Function in Older Video Game Players: An fMRI Study

Abstract

Video games have been found to have positive influences on executive function in older adults; however, the underlying neural basis of the benefits from video games has been unclear. Adopting a task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study targeted at the flanker task, the present study aims to explore the neural basis of the improved executive function in older adults with video game experiences. Twenty video game players (VGPs) and twenty non-video game players (NVGPs) of 60 years of age or older participated in the present study, and there are no significant differences in age (t = 0.62, p = 0.536), gender ratio (t = 1.29, p = 0.206) and years of education (t = 1.92, p = 0.062) between VGPs and NVGPs. The results show that older VGPs present significantly better behavioral performance than NVGPs. Older VGPs activate greater than NVGPs in brain regions, mainly in frontal-parietal areas, including the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the left supramarginal gyrus, the right angular gyrus, the right precuneus and the left paracentral lobule. The present study reveals that video game experiences may have positive influences on older adults in behavioral performance and the underlying brain activation. These results imply the potential role that video games can play as an effective tool to improve cognitive ability in older adults.

Commercial video games and cognitive functions: video game genres and modulating factors of cognitive enhancement

“…goaldirected neural process) [37]. Even older players showed increased activation in right dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) [38]. Taken together, VG playing, especially AVG playing, is associated with the enhancement of visual attention that takes an important role in the efficient processing of information [39].…”

Does Video Gaming Have Impacts on the Brain: Evidence from a Systematic Review

“…Recent studies using MRI technique for brain imaging have demonstrated video gaming effects on neuroplasticity. Earlier imaging studies using cross-sectional and longitudinal methods have shown that playing video games affects the brain structure by changing the grey matter [31,32,33], white matter [34,35], and functional connectivity [36,37,38,39]. Additionally, a few intervention studies have demonstrated that playing video games changed brain structure and functions [40,41,42,43].…”

A Reduction in Video Gaming Time Produced a Decrease in Brain Activity

“…Thus, the retention of the adaptive effect of video gaming on brain development still remains unclear. Second, experimental research has usually exposed participants to a video gaming session and examined how an increase in video gaming time improved brain development (Mishra et al, 2011; Wu et al, 2012; Wang et al, 2017). However, to the best of our knowledge, research has not yet examined whether a decrease in brain development is observable after players have reduced their video gaming time over an extended period of time.…”