Neural Basis of Enhanced Executive Function in Older Video Game Players: An fMRI Study
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 st...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2017.00382/full |
| _version_ | 1818426120992718848 |
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| author | Ping Wang Ping Wang Xing-Ting Zhu Xing-Ting Zhu Zhigang Qi Zhigang Qi Silin Huang Hui-Jie Li Hui-Jie Li |
| author_facet | Ping Wang Ping Wang Xing-Ting Zhu Xing-Ting Zhu Zhigang Qi Zhigang Qi Silin Huang Hui-Jie Li Hui-Jie Li |
| author_sort | Ping Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T14:24:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-92ce223943ca46d6ac9a0d363081b56b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1663-4365 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T14:24:47Z |
| publishDate | 2017-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-92ce223943ca46d6ac9a0d363081b56b2022-12-21T22:58:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience1663-43652017-11-01910.3389/fnagi.2017.00382282253Neural Basis of Enhanced Executive Function in Older Video Game Players: An fMRI StudyPing Wang0Ping Wang1Xing-Ting Zhu2Xing-Ting Zhu3Zhigang Qi4Zhigang Qi5Silin Huang6Hui-Jie Li7Hui-Jie Li8CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Brain Informatics, Beijing, ChinaInstitute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaVideo 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.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2017.00382/fullvideo game experienceolder video game playersolder non-video game playersfMRIexecutive function |
| spellingShingle | Ping Wang Ping Wang Xing-Ting Zhu Xing-Ting Zhu Zhigang Qi Zhigang Qi Silin Huang Hui-Jie Li Hui-Jie Li Neural Basis of Enhanced Executive Function in Older Video Game Players: An fMRI Study Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience video game experience older video game players older non-video game players fMRI executive function |
| title | Neural Basis of Enhanced Executive Function in Older Video Game Players: An fMRI Study |
| title_full | Neural Basis of Enhanced Executive Function in Older Video Game Players: An fMRI Study |
| title_fullStr | Neural Basis of Enhanced Executive Function in Older Video Game Players: An fMRI Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neural Basis of Enhanced Executive Function in Older Video Game Players: An fMRI Study |
| title_short | Neural Basis of Enhanced Executive Function in Older Video Game Players: An fMRI Study |
| title_sort | neural basis of enhanced executive function in older video game players an fmri study |
| topic | video game experience older video game players older non-video game players fMRI executive function |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2017.00382/full |
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