Learning, attentional control, and action video games

Combined Effect of HF-rTMS and Whole-Body Vibration Exercise on Cognitive Efficiency in Esports Players With or Without Sedentary Behaviors: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The present study investigated the effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS), whole-body vibration training (WBVT), and a combination of HF-rTMS and WBVT interventions on cognitive performance in esports players with or without sedentary behaviors.

METHODS

A total of 128 participants, including sedentary and non-sedentary esports players, were randomly assigned to the HF-rTMS group, the WBVT group, the HF-rTMS + WBVT group, or the control group. The interventions were administered daily for 2 weeks, and pretest, mid-test, and posttest assessments were conducted. Cognitive function was assessed using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) for response time and accuracy, and gaming performance was measured using first-person shooter (FPS) scores.

RESULTS

At baseline, sedentary players demonstrated significantly increased response time in DSST compared to non-sedentary participants. The interventions, both HF-rTMS and WBVT, significantly enhanced cognitive processing speed and accuracy, with these improvements being more pronounced in sedentary esports players compared to non-sedentary esports players. Notably, the combination of HF-rTMS and WBVT was found to be the most effective in boosting cognitive performance among these interventions. Furthermore, FPS scores showed an overall increase in all intervention groups in both sedentary and non-sedentary esports players, and the combination of HF-rTMS and WBVT showed the most pronounced effect on in gaming performance.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrated that sedentary behavior had a detrimental effect on the cognitive function in esports players. Furthermore, HF-rTMS and WBVT, especially in combination, effectively enhanced cognitive performance in esports players, with a more pronounced effect in those with sedentary lifestyles. These findings suggested potential strategies for cognitive enhancement in the esports context, highlighting the need for tailored interventions based on individual lifestyle factors.

Practice makes perfect, but to what end? Computerised brain training has limited cognitive benefits in healthy ageing

Whether brain training programmes are effective and have transferable benefits to wider cognitive abilities is controversial, especially in older adult populations. We assessed, in a randomised controlled intervention study, whether a commercially available brain training programme can induce cognitive improvements in a sample of healthy older adults (N = 103). Participants completed a three-month intervention of either an adaptive computerised cognitive training programme (through a brain training app) or active control. Cognition was measured through a comprehensive battery of tasks pre- and post-intervention to assess working memory, processing speed, attention, and language functioning. Participants in the intervention group significantly improved on all tasks that were trained specifically within the brain training programme (i.e. practice effects). However, for the cognitive tasks assessed pre- and post-intervention there was no evidence of any of these practice effects transferring to improvements in cognitive outcome measures compared to the active control group (i.e. transfer effects). Our results indicate that the benefits of brain training programmes appear to be limited to practice effects of trained tasks, while no evidence is found for transfer effects to other, related or unrelated, untrained cognitive tasks.

Visuomotor memory is not bound to visual motion

The motor system adapts its output in response to experienced errors to maintain effective movement in a dynamic environment. This learning is thought to utilize sensory prediction errors, the discrepancy between predicted and observed sensory feedback, to update internal models that map motor outputs to sensory states. However, it remains unclear what sensory information is relevant (e.g., the extent to which sensory predictions depend on visual feedback features). We explored this topic by measuring the transfer of visuomotor adaptation across two contexts where input movements created visual motion in opposite directions by either: (i) translating a cursor across a static environment or (ii) causing the environment to move towards a static cursor (272 participants: 94 male, 175 female). We hypothesized that this difference in visual feedback should engage distinct internal models, resulting in poor transfer of learning between contexts. Instead, we found nearly complete transfer of learning across contexts, with evidence that the motor memory was bound to the planned displacement of the hand rather than visual features of the task space. Our results suggest that internal model adaptation is not tied to the exact nature of the sensory feedback that results from movement. Instead, adaptation relies on representations of planned movements, allowing a common internal model to be employed across different visual contexts.Significance statement Human motor control requires constant calibration to remain effective in a dynamic environment. This adaptive process is thought to be driven by error-based learning in internal models that either predict the sensory consequences of a planned movement or output the required movement to realize a sensory goal. However, what sensory information is relevant is unclear. We probed whether internal model adaptation, in response to rotated visual feedback, transferred across two contexts where a common hand movement caused visual motion in opposite directions. We found near-complete transfer of learning across these two contexts, and that learning was tied to hand movements. These results indicate that internal models operate at a level abstracted from the exact nature of the visual feedback provided.

The Effect of Digital Era on Human Visual Working Memory

BACKGROUND

The digital age has had a profound impact on our lives and cognitive abilities, such as working memory. Typically, visual working memory (VWM) is an important aspect of our working memory. As a crucial cognitive function for individuals, VWM has been extensively studied in the context of the digital age and may be affected by the digital age.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to provide a summary of the impact of the digital age on VWM and cover various aspects and novel methods for investigating its effects on our VWM.

METHODS

Qualitative review of the VWM in the context of the digital age.

RESULTS

This paper reviews the research on VWM in the context of the digital era, expounds the influence of both the digital content usage and the active video games on the VWM, introduces the application of the virtual technology in the research of VWM, and puts forward the future research direction of VWM in the context of the digital era.

CONCLUSION

By synthesizing the existing research, this review sheds light on the complex relationship between the digital age and VWM, as well as identifies potential avenues for future research on VWM.

Playing stereoscopic video games enhances the precision but not the accuracy of depth perception

Playing three-dimensional (3D) video games enhances stereo acuity (i.e., the precision of stereopsis) in young adults with normal vision Here we asked whether the improvement in stereoacuity was the result of a reduced disparity pedestal, as indicated by a decreased subjective depth bias (i.e., the accuracy of stereopsis). Twenty-one healthy young participants with normal vision and limited previous video game experience, none had played 3D video games, played first-person-shooter action stereoscopic 3D video games for a total of 40 h. Depth detection performance was measured using random dot stereograms before and after the video game intervention. We found that playing stereoscopic 3D video games boosts the precision, but not the accuracy of depth perception, suggesting that the enhanced stereoacuity did not result from reducing the effects of a disparity pedestal. These types of video games have potential therapeutic applications for improving stereo vision in patients with binocular vision anomalies.

Evidence for the advantages of assessing action video game proficiency in addition to gaming experience

Investigations into whether playing action video games (AVGs) benefit other tasks, such as driving, have traditionally focused on gaming experience (i.e., hours played). A potential problem with this approach is that AVG experience only partially indexes the cognitive skills developed via gaming, which are presumably the source of other task benefits. Thus, a focus on experience, instead of gaming proficiency (i.e., skill level), may account for inconsistencies in existing literature. We investigated whether AVG experience or proficiency best predicts performance in simulated driving. We hypothesised that proficiency would better predict driving performance (speed control, lane maintenance, spare cognitive capacity) than experience. One-hundred-and-sixteen participants drove in a simulator and played an AVG (Quake III Arena). Proficiency predicted all aspects of driving performance, while experience only predicted lane maintenance. These findings highlight the benefits of measuring AVG proficiency, with implications for the video games literature, driving safety and the transfer of skill-based learning.

Exploring the Influence of Video Games on Self-Reported Spatial Abilities Among University Students

Background: Video games are no longer just entertainment; they are increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance cognitive abilities, including spatial cognition. This skill is vital in academic disciplines, where strong spatial reasoning is essential for problem-solving and success. Aims: This study investigates how video game engagement impacts self-reported spatial abilities in university students, focusing on the frequency, types, and duration of gaming. It also explores the contributions of specific video game genres and features to perceived cognitive improvements. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 566 Saudi university students who completed an online questionnaire on their gaming habits and self-reported spatial abilities. Data were analyzed using independent sample t-tests and chi-square tests to assess the associations between video game behaviors and self-reported spatial cognition. Results: Frequent gamers (65% of participants) demonstrated significantly higher self-reported spatial abilities than infrequent gamers, particularly in adapting to spatial challenges (p < 0.001). Players engaged with action and open-world games reported the greatest perceived improvements in spatial cognition. No significant gender differences were observed, indicating that both males and females benefit equally from gaming. The use of perspective in games was notably linked to spatial skill enhancement (p = 0.05). Conclusions: Regular video game play, especially with spatially demanding genres, is associated with significant self-reported improvements in spatial abilities. These findings highlight the potential of video games as tools for enhancing self-reported spatial cognition in education and professional training, particularly in STEM fields.

Assessing the Feasibility and Efficacy of Virtual Reality Navigational Training for Older Adults

Background and Objectives

This study evaluates the feasibility of virtual reality (VR) wayfinding training with aging adults and assesses the impact of the training on wayfinding performance.

Research Design and Methods

49 participants were recruited using a convenience sample approach. Wayfinding tasks were conducted by 3 participant groups: active VR training, passive video training, and no training, assigned randomly. The training featured 5 tasks in a digital version of a real building. Post-training assessments used 10 tasks in this same building, half of the tasks familiar from the training and half new. The study was double-blinded, with each intervention lasting 10 min. The primary outcomes include the Distance Traveled and Duration for each wayfinding task, with a fixed 10-min limit.

Results

Participants in the VR group reported moderate usability and a high sense of Self Location in the environment with respect to the training intervention. No significant differences were found in performance for the first group of similar wayfinding tasks; however, in the subsequent set of new tasks the VR group significantly outperformed the Control group. This suggests a possible spatial learning effect across multiple exposures (VR training followed by similar task). No adverse effects were reported during or post intervention.

Discussion and Implications

This study provides preliminary evidence that VR training can help to improve wayfinding performance in older adults with no reported adverse effects.

Cognitive and gray matter volume predictors of learning across two types of casual video games in older Adults: Action vs Strategy

Video game based and other computerized cognitive interventions are generally efficacious in bolstering cognition in adults over the age of 60, though specific efficacy varies widely by intervention methodology. Furthermore, there is reason to suspect that the process of learning complex tasks like video games is a major factor underpinning training-related transfer to cognition. The current study examined the neurocognitive predictors of learning of video games, and how those predictors may differentially relate to games of different genres. Learning rates from two different types of games, one action and another strategy, were calculated for 32 older adults (mean age = 66.29 years, 65 % Female). An extensive cognitive battery as well as structural measures of regional gray matter volumes were examined to identify the cognitive and the brain structure contributors to the learning rates for each type of game. A broad leftlateralized gray matter volume construct, as well as cognitive constructs of processing speed, episodic memory and reasoning, were found to significantly predict learning of the Strategy game, but not the Action game. Additionally, this gray matter construct was found to entirely mediate the relationships between the Strategy game learning and cognition, esp. episodic memory and reasoning. The contributions of age-sensitive cognitive skills as well as related brain volumes of lateral fronto-parietal regions to Strategy video games implicate the examined game as a potential game training tool in normal aging.

Visual Cortical Function Changes After Perceptual Learning with Dichoptic Attention Tasks in Adults with Amblyopia: A Case Study Evaluated Using fMRI

Background: Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental disorder of vision, commonly caused by strabismus or anisometropia during early childhood. While studies demonstrated that perceptual learning improves visual acuity and stereopsis in adults with amblyopia, accompanying changes in visual cortical function remain unclear. Methods: We measured functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) responses before and after perceptual learning in seven adults with amblyopia. Our learning tasks involved dichoptic high-attention-demand tasks that avoided V1 function-related tasks and required high-level cortical functions (e.g., intraparietal sulcus) to train the amblyopic eye. Results: Perceptual learning induced low-level visual cortical function changes, which were strongly associated with the etiology of amblyopia and visual function improvements. Anisometropic amblyopes showed functional improvements across all regions of interest (ROIs: V1, V2, V3, V3A, and hV4), along with improvements in visual acuity and stereoacuity. In contrast, strabismic amblyopes showed robust improvements in visual cortical functions only in individuals who experienced significant gains in visual acuity and stereoacuity. Notably, improvements in V1 functions were significantly correlated with the magnitude of visual acuity and stereoacuity improvements when combining both anisometropic and strabismic amblyopes. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence that learning occurs in both high-level and low-level cortical processes. Our study suggests that early intervention to correct eye alignment (e.g., strabismus surgery) is critical for restoring both visual and cortical functions in strabismic amblyopia.

Digital Device Usage and Childhood Cognitive Development: Exploring Effects on Cognitive Abilities

The increasing ubiquity of digital devices in childhood had outpaced the understanding of their effects on cognitive development, creating a significant research gap regarding their long-term impact.

OBJECTIVE

The present narrative overview explored the complex relationship between digital device usage and cognitive development in childhood.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science, to critically assess cognitive domains such as attention, memory, executive functions, problem-solving skills, and social cognition. Incorporating over 157 peer-reviewed studies published between 2001 and 2024, we used strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure scientific rigor.

RESULTS

The review integrated empirical findings with established theoretical frameworks, particularly from cognitive development and media psychology, to highlight both the advantages and risks of early, frequent exposure to technology. The potential for digital devices to enhance cognitive skills, such as multitasking and information processing, was weighed against risks such as cognitive overload, diminished attention spans, and impaired social skills. We also examined psychological and behavioral outcomes, including identity formation, emotional regulation, and maladaptive behaviors associated with excessive screen time. Additionally, we identified strategies to mitigate negative effects, emphasizing structured digital engagement and parental involvement to support healthy cognitive and psychological growth. Our findings provided actionable recommendations for parents, educators, and policymakers, promoting optimal digital practices that enhanced cognitive development while safeguarding against potential harms.

CONCLUSIONS

The review offered essential insights for stakeholders in child development, education, and policy-making, highlighting the need for balanced integration of digital tools in childhood learning environments.

Video Game Skills across Diverse Genres and Cognitive Functioning in Early Adulthood: Verbal and Visuospatial Short-Term and Working Memory, Hand-Eye Coordination, and Empathy

The cognitive and affective impacts of video games are subjects of ongoing debate, with recent research recognizing their potential benefits. This study employs the Gaming Skill Questionnaire (GSQ) to evaluate participants' gaming skills across six genres and overall proficiency. A total of 88 individuals aged 20-40 participated, completing assessments of empathy and six cognitive abilities: verbal short-term memory, verbal working memory, visuospatial short-term memory, visuospatial working memory, psychomotor speed (hand-eye coordination), and attention. Participants' cognitive abilities were examined using the Digit Span Test, Corsi Block Test, and Deary-Liewald Reaction Time Task, while empathy was assessed using the Empathy Quotient Questionnaire. Findings indicate that higher levels of videogaming proficiency are linked to improvements in visuospatial short-term and working memory, psychomotor speed, and attention. Specific genres enhanced particular skills: RPGs were positively associated with both verbal working memory and visuospatial short-term memory, but were negatively associated with empathy; action games improved psychomotor speed and attention; and puzzle games showed a positive relationship with visuospatial working memory. These results add to ongoing research on the cognitive and affective effects of video games, suggesting their potential to enhance specific cognitive functions. They also highlight the complex relationship between video games and empathy. Future research should explore the long-term impacts and genre-specific effects.

Effect of Action Video Games in Eye Movement Behavior: A Systematic Review

Previous research shows that playing action video games seems to modify the behavior of eye movements such as eye fixations and saccades. The aim of the current work was to determine the effect of playing action video games on eye movements behavior such as fixations, saccades and pursuits. A systematic research review in PubMed and Scopus databases was conducted to identify articles published between 2010 and 2022 which referred to action video games and eye movements, including fixations, saccades and pursuits. We included those that were experimental and quasi-experimental, comparing at least two groups between action vs. non-action video games players. All the studies included used an eye tracker to study eye movements. A total of 97 scientific articles were found in the databases. After inclusion criteria, thirteen articles (N=13) were analyzed for the present work, of which ten (n=10) had a cross-sectional design, and three (n=3) were randomized intervention studies. Playing regularly or training with action video games is not likely to produce changes in eye movements, based on the literature research analyzed. For future research, more interventional studies, with less gender bias, more sample participants and general consensus on the distinction between the action and non-action video games is needed.

Enhanced "learning to learn" through a hierarchical dual-learning system: the case of action video game players

In contrast to conventional cognitive training paradigms, where learning effects are specific to trained parameters, playing action video games has been shown to produce broad enhancements in many cognitive functions. These remarkable generalizations challenge the conventional theory of generalization that learned knowledge can be immediately applied to novel situations (i.e., immediate generalization). Instead, a new "learning to learn" theory has recently been proposed, suggesting that these broad generalizations are attained because action video game players (AVGPs) can quickly acquire the statistical regularities of novel tasks in order to increase the learning rate and ultimately achieve better performance. Although enhanced learning rate has been found for several tasks, it remains unclear whether AVGPs efficiently learn task statistics and use learned task knowledge to guide learning. To address this question, we tested 34 AVGPs and 36 non-video game players (NVGPs) on a cue-response associative learning task. Importantly, unlike conventional cognitive tasks with fixed task statistics, in this task, cue-response associations either remain stable or change rapidly (i.e., are volatile) in different blocks. To complete the task, participants should not only learn the lower-level cue-response associations through explicit feedback but also actively estimate the high-level task statistics (i.e., volatility) to dynamically guide lower-level learning. Such a dual learning system is modelled using a hierarchical Bayesian learning framework, and we found that AVGPs indeed quickly extract the volatility information and use the estimated higher volatility to accelerate learning of the cue-response associations. These results provide strong evidence for the "learning to learn" theory of generalization in AVGPs. Taken together, our work highlights enhanced hierarchical learning of both task statistics and cognitive abilities as a mechanism underlying the broad enhancements associated with action video game play.

Factorial structure of the Internet Gaming Disorder questionnaire in the Italian setting: a single-factored ailment or a multifaceted condition?

INTRODUCTION

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) according to DSM-5 is a behavioral addiction needing additional study. IGD in youth is correlated with anxiety, depression, attention problems, interpersonal problems, social phobia, behavior problems and low academic achievement. The aim of the present research is to contribute to the understanding of the disorder, by providing preliminary data on the factorial structure of the IGD Questionnaire in the Italian version.

PARTICIPANTS

612 Italian students (323 females), mean of age = 13.94 (SD = 2.44). Instruments: a survey comprising IGD Questionnaire, Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Children's Coping Strategies Checklist (CCSC-R1), Assessment of Interpersonal Relations (AIR), and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).

RESULTS

15.2% of participants showed a sub-clinical IGD and 2.1% met the full diagnostic criteria. Participants with IGD showed lower scores in interpersonal relationships, worse coping strategies and higher scores in externalization. The factorial structure of the IGD Questionnaire highlights 4 factors ("addiction", "gaming as coping", "impaired control" and "negative outcomes") that explain 52.14% of the variance. A single-factor solution was also tested and results seem to be coherent with the four-factor solution, explaining less variance.

CONCLUSIONS

IGD is a complex clinical condition that can be thought both as a single-factored and as a multi-faceted condition.

Going beyond video game consumption when considering Internet Gaming Disorder

BACKGROUND

Recognizing the crucial importance of understanding the impact of video games on health in today's gaming-dominated world, our study aimed to investigate the relationship between gaming time and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Despite the widespread assumption that a connection exists between both, previous studies have revealed highly variable associations, highlighting significant weaknesses in establishing a robust link.

METHODS

To unravel this complex relationship, we recruited two independent samples of League of Legends players. We combined the collection of self-reported and actual gameplay data, together with assessments of mental health, personality traits, and cognitive abilities.

RESULTS

Surprisingly, none of the gaming variables demonstrated a robust and stable association with IGD, regardless of whether players spent less than or more than 30 hours per week gaming-a threshold suggested by the American Psychiatric Association as a potential indicator of disordered gaming. Notably, mental health factors, such as anxiety, depression and ADHD, emerged as the most influential predictors of IGD.

CONCLUSION

These findings, replicated across two independent samples, challenge the prevailing belief that limiting screen time alone effectively combats IGD. Instead, mental health factors play a crucial role in mitigating risks associated with gaming. Policies focusing solely on restricting screen time are insufficient in reducing the prevalence or symptoms of IGD. Rather, a comprehensive approach that considers mental health and key personality traits must be adopted to safeguard the well-being of individuals engaged in gaming.

PEMOCS: theory derivation of a concept for PErsonalized MOtor-Cognitive exergame training in chronic Stroke-a methodological paper with an application example

Background

Coping with residual cognitive and gait impairments is a prominent unmet need in community-dwelling chronic stroke survivors. Motor-cognitive exergames may be promising to address this unmet need. However, many studies have so far implemented motor-cognitive exergame interventions in an unstructured manner and suitable application protocols remain yet unclear. We, therefore, aimed to summarize existing literature on this topic, and developed a training concept for motor-cognitive exergame interventions in chronic stroke.

Methods

The development of the training concept for personalized motor-cognitive exergame training for stroke (PEMOCS) followed Theory Derivation procedures. This comprised (1.1) a thorough (narrative) literature search on long-term stroke rehabilitation; (1.2) a wider literature search beyond the topic of interest to identify analogies, and to induce creativity; (2) the identification of parent theories; (3) the adoption of suitable content or structure of the main parent theory; and (4) the induction of modifications to adapt it to the new field of interest. We also considered several aspects of the "Framework for Developing and Evaluating Complex Interventions" by the Medical Research Council. Specifically, a feasibility study was conducted, and refining actions based on the findings were performed.

Results

A training concept for improving cognitive functions and gait in community-dwelling chronic stroke survivors should consider the principles for neuroplasticity, (motor) skill learning, and training. We suggest using a step-based exergame training for at least 12 weeks, 2-3 times a week for approximately 45 min. Gentile's Taxonomy for Motor Learning was identified as suitable fundament for the personalized progression and variability rules, and extended by a third cognitive dimension. Concepts and models from related fields inspired further additions and modifications to the concept.

Conclusion

We propose the PEMOCS concept for improving cognitive functioning and gait in community-dwelling chronic stroke survivors, which serves as a guide for structuring and implementing motor-cognitive exergame interventions. Future research should focus on developing objective performance parameters that enable personalized progression independent of the chosen exergame type.

Playing three-dimensional video games boosts stereo vision

Playing two-dimensional video games has been shown to result in improvements in a range of visual and cognitive tasks, and these improvements appear to generalize widely1,2,3,4,5,6. Here we report that young adults with healthy vision, surprisingly, showed a dramatic improvement in stereo vision after playing three-dimensional, but not two-dimensional, video games for a relatively short period of time. Intriguingly, neither group showed any significant improvement in binocular contrast sensitivity. This dissociation suggests that the visual enhancement was specific to genuine stereoscopic processing, not indirectly resulting from enhanced contrast processing, and required engaging in a disparity cue-rich three-dimensional environment.

The Effects of Physical Activity Interventions on Children's Perception: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Perception is an essential component of children's psychological development, which is foundational to children's ability to understand and adapt to their external environment. Perception is also a crucial tool for understand and navigating one's surroundings, enabling children to identify objects and react appropriately to settings or situations. Substantial evidence indicates that engaging in physical activity is beneficial for the development of children's perceptual abilities, as the two are closely intertwined. Still, more research is necessary to gain a full understanding of the impact of physical activity on children's perception. To further identify and quantify the effects of physical activity on a number of specific perceptions in children. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Searches were performed using five online databases (i.e., PubMed, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) for articles published up to and including June 2023 to identify eligible citations. A total of 12 randomized controlled trials, encompassing 1,761 children under the age of 12, were analyzed. Overall, physical activity as an intervention showed a notable effect on the development of children's perceptions. The meta-analysis indicated that participating in physical activity for 30 minutes around, daily, had a greater impact on children's visual perception and executive functioning than on their motor perception, body perception, and global self-worth (SMD = 1.33, 95% CI: 0.75, 1.91, p < 0.001). The effects of physical activity on children's perception performance varied by participant characteristics, with physical activity having better effects on body perception and overall self-worth in children who were obese or overweight. Furthermore, physical activity can also enhance executive function and attention in children with developmental coordination disorders. The effects of physical activity on children's perception performance varied according to the intervention time, with different activity durations resulting in different perception performances. Therefore, parents and educators must prioritize an appropriate length of physical activity time for children to ensure their optimal growth and development. Registration and protocol CRD42023441119.

Effects of Serious Games in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

OBJECTIVE

The rising prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has spurred interest in innovative cognitive rehabilitation approaches, including serious games. This review summarizes randomized clinical trials (RCTs) exploring the impact of serious games on MCI patients.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive data search using key terms such as "gamification," "digital therapy," "cognition," "mild cognitive impairment," and "Alzheimer's disease." We exclusively considered published RCTs, excluding animal studies and basic research.

RESULTS

We identified eight RCTs. Four RCTs examined the effects of serious games using cognitive training for MCI patients. Notably, one study found that non-specific training (Nintendo Wii) significantly enhanced cognitive function and quality of life compared to cognition-specific computer training (CoTras). Among the remaining three RCTs, one specifically demonstrated that personalized serious game-based cognitive training yielded superior cognitive outcomes and reduced depressive symptoms. One RCT focused on serious games incorporating physical exercise, highlighting the effectiveness of kinetic-based exergaming in enhancing overall cognition. Three RCT focused on combined cognitive training and physical exercise. A double-blind RCT revealed that progressive resistance training or standalone physical exercise outperformed the combined approach in improving executive function and global cognition. Two additional RCTs reported positive outcomes, including improvements in cognitive function and electroencephalogram patterns associated with game-based interventions.

CONCLUSION

Serious games, whether focusing on cognitive training, physical exercise, or a combination of both, have potential to improve cognitive and functional outcomes in individuals with MCI. Further research and standardization of protocols are needed to better understand the full potential of serious games in MCI.

Action video games and posterior parietal cortex neuromodulation enhance both attention and reading in adults with developmental dyslexia

The impact of action video games on reading performance has been already demonstrated in individuals with and without neurodevelopmental disorders. The combination of action video games and posterior parietal cortex neuromodulation by a transcranial random noise stimulation could enhance brain plasticity, improving attentional control and reading skills also in adults with developmental dyslexia. In a double blind randomized controlled trial, 20 young adult nonaction video game players with developmental dyslexia were trained for 15 h with action video games. Half of the participants were stimulated with bilateral transcranial random noise stimulation on the posterior parietal cortex during the action video game training, whereas the others were in the placebo (i.e. sham) condition. Word text reading, pseudowords decoding, and temporal attention (attentional blink), as well as electroencephalographic activity during the attentional blink, were measured before and after the training. The action video game + transcranial random noise stimulation group showed temporal attention, word text reading, and pseudoword decoding enhancements and P300 amplitude brain potential changes. The enhancement in temporal attention performance was related with the efficiency in pseudoword decoding improvement. Our results demonstrate that the combination of action video game training with parietal neuromodulation increases the efficiency of visual attention deployment, probably reshaping goal-directed and stimulus-driven fronto-parietal attentional networks interplay in young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions.

Action video games normalise the phonemic awareness in pre-readers at risk for developmental dyslexia

Action video-games (AVGs) could improve reading efficiency, enhancing not only visual attention but also phonological processing. Here we tested the AVG effects upon three consolidated language-based predictors of reading development in a sample of 79 pre-readers at-risk and 41 non-at-risk for developmental dyslexia. At-risk children were impaired in either phonemic awareness (i.e., phoneme discrimination task), phonological working memory (i.e., pseudoword repetition task) or rapid automatized naming (i.e., RAN of colours task). At-risk children were assigned to different groups by using an unequal allocation randomization: (1) AVG (n = 43), (2) Serious Non-Action Video Game (n = 11), (3) treatment-as-usual (i.e., speech therapy, n = 11), and (4) waiting list (n = 14). Pre- and post-training comparisons show that only phonemic awareness has a significantly higher improvement in the AVG group compared to the waiting list, the non-AVG, and the treatment-as-usual groups, as well as the combined active groups (n = 22). This cross-modal plastic change: (i) leads to a recovery in phonemic awareness when compared to the not-at-risk pre-readers; (ii) is present in more than 80% of AVG at-risk pre-readers, and; (iii) is maintained at a 6-months follow-up. The present findings indicate that this specific multisensory attentional training positively affects how phonemic awareness develops in pre-readers at risk for developmental dyslexia, paving the way for innovative prevention programs.

Video gamers demonstrate superior bronchoscopy skills among beginners

While previous research has explored the connection between video gaming and medical procedures, studies on the connection between video gaming and bronchoscopy techniques are lacking. This study aimed to investigate how video gaming experience influences bronchoscopy skills, particularly among beginners. This study was conducted at Fukujuji Hospital from January 2021 to October 2023. Twenty-three participants were assigned to the inexperienced group, and eighteen participants were assigned to the experienced group. The observational time during bronchoscopy, measured using a simulator, and the playing time of SPLATOON 2 (NINTENDO Co. Ltd., Japan) were analyzed. Video gaming skills were assessed based on game completion time, with shorter times indicating faster task completion. Participants were also divided into gamer and nongamer subgroups for further comparisons. A moderate linear relationship existed between bronchoscopic observation time and game completion time in the inexperienced group (r = 0.453, p = 0.030). However, no correlation was found in the experienced group (r = 0.268, p = 0.283). Among the inexperienced group, the gamer subgroup (n = 12) exhibited significantly shorter bronchoscopic observation times than did the nongamer subgroup (n = 11) (median [range]: 200 [129-229] s) vs. 281 [184-342] s, p = 0.005). This study demonstrated a relationship between bronchoscopy technique and video gaming skills among individuals with little bronchoscopy experience.

Do Real-Time Strategy Video Gamers Have Better Attentional Control?

OBJECTIVE

Do real-time strategy (RTS) video gamers have better attentional control? To examine this issue, we tested experienced versus inexperienced RTS video gamers on multi-object tracking tasks (MOT) and dual-MOT tasks with visual or auditory secondary tasks (dMOT). We employed a street-crossing task with a visual working memory task as a secondary task in a virtual reality (VR) environment to examine any generalized attentional advantage.

BACKGROUND

Similar to action video games, RTS video games require players to switch attention between multiple visual objects and views. However, whether the attentional control advantage is limited by sensory modalities or generalizes to real-life tasks remains unclear.

METHOD

In study 1, 25 RTS video game players (SVGP) and 25 non-video game players (NVGP) completed the MOT task and two dMOT tasks. In study 2, a different sample with 25 SVGP and 25 NVGP completed a simulated street-crossing task with the visual dual task in a VR environment.

RESULTS

After controlling the effects of the speed-accuracy trade-off, SVGP showed better performance than NVGP in the MOT task and the visual dMOT task, but SVGP did not perform better in either the auditory dMOT task or the street-crossing task.

CONCLUSION

RTS video gamers had better attentional control in visual computer tasks, but not in the auditory tasks and the VR tasks. Attentional control benefits associated with RTS video game experience may be limited by sensory modalities, and may not translate to performance benefits in real-life tasks.

Visual stimulation by extensive visual media consumption can be beneficial for motor learning

In this randomized controlled intervention trial, we investigated whether intense visual stimulation through television watching can enhance visual information processing and motor learning performance. 74 healthy young adults were trained in a motor skill with visual information processing demands while being accommodated in a controlled environment for five days. The experimental manipulation (n = 37) consisted of prolonged television watching (i.e., 8 h/day, + 62.5% on average) to induce intense exposure to visual stimulation. The control group (n = 37) did not consume visual media. The groups were compared by motor learning performance throughout the study as well as pre/post visual attention parameters and resting-state network connectivity in functional MRI. We found that the intervention group performed significantly better in the motor learning task (+ 8.21% (95%-CI[12.04, 4.31], t(70) = 4.23, p < 0.001) while showing an increased capacity of visual short-term memory (+ 0.254, t(58) = - 3.19, p = 0.002) and increased connectivity between visual and motor-learning associated resting-state networks. Our findings suggest that the human brain might enter a state of accentuated visuomotor integration to support the implementation of motor learning with visual information processing demands if challenged by ample input of visual stimulation. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the persistence of this effect regarding participants exposed to accustomed amounts of visual media consumption.Clinical Trials Registration: This trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register/Deutsches Register klinischer Studien (DRKS): DRKS00019955.

Social media usage and students' social anxiety, loneliness and well-being: does digital mindfulness-based intervention effectively work?

BACKGROUND

The increasing integration of digital technologies into daily life has spurred a growing body of research in the field of digital psychology. This research has shed light on the potential benefits and drawbacks of digital technologies for mental health and well-being. However, the intricate relationship between technology and psychology remains largely unexplored.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the impact of mindfulness-based mobile apps on university students' anxiety, loneliness, and well-being. Additionally, it sought to explore participants' perceptions of the addictiveness of these apps.

METHOD

The research utilized a multi-phase approach, encompassing a correlational research method, a pretest-posttest randomized controlled trial, and a qualitative case study. Participants were segmented into three subsets: correlations (n = 300), treatment (n = 60), and qualitative (n = 20). Data were gathered from various sources, including the social anxiety scale, well-being scale, social media use integration scale, and an interview checklist. Quantitative data was analyzed using Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and t-tests, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The study uncovered a significant correlation between social media use and the variables under investigation. Moreover, the treatment involving mindfulness-based mobile apps led to a reduction in students' anxiety and an enhancement of their well-being. Notably, participants held various positive perceptions regarding the use of these apps.

IMPLICATIONS

The findings of this research hold both theoretical and practical significance for the field of digital psychology. They provide insight into the potential of mindfulness-based mobile apps to positively impact university students' mental health and well-being. Additionally, the study underscores the need for further exploration of the intricate dynamics between technology and psychology in an increasingly digital world.

Intervention targeting different visual attention span components in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia: a study based on Bundesen's theory of visual attention

Within the framework of the theory of visual attention (TVA), the visual attention span (VAS) deficit among individuals with developmental dyslexia has been ascribed to the problems entailed by bottom-up (BotU) and top-down (TopD) attentional processes. The former involves two VAS subcomponents: the visual short-term memory storage and perceptual processing speed; the latter consists of the spatial bias of attentional weight and the inhibitory control. Then, what about the influences of the BotU and TopD components on reading? Are there differences in the roles of the two types of attentional processes in reading? This study addresses these issues by using two types of training tasks separately, corresponding to the BotU and TopD attentional components. Three groups of Chinese children with dyslexia-15 children each in the BotU training, TopD training, and non-trained active control groups were recruited here. Participants completed reading measures and a CombiTVA task which was used to estimate VAS subcomponents, before and after the training procedure. Results showed that BotU training improved both the within-category and between-category VAS subcomponents and sentence reading performance; meanwhile, TopD training enhanced character reading fluency through improving spatial attention capacity. Moreover, benefits on attentional capacities and reading skills in the two training groups were generally maintained three months after the intervention. The present findings revealed diverse patterns in the influences of VAS on reading within the TVA framework, which contributes to enriching the understanding of VAS-reading relation.

A Literature Review on the Effects of Exergames on Executive Function in Youth

Exergames (video games that promote cognitive and physical activity simultaneously) benefit executive function in elderly populations. It has been suggested that exergames may induce larger effects than cognitive or exercise training alone, but few reviews have synthesized the causal factors of exergames on executive function from experimental research with youth. This review investigates (1) the various types of exergames and associated comparison conditions (2) the executive function outcome assessments commonly utilized in exergame research with youth (3) the efficacy of exergames by evaluating experimental studies that compared exergaming to cognitive, exercise, and passive control conditions inclusive of effect sizes and (4) the potential mechanisms underlying the changes in executive function induced from exergames. Eligible outcome data were available from 607 participants across ten studies, with the age of participants ranging from 4-21 (M age = 10.46 ). The findings indicate that exergames improve aspects of executive function from both acute and chronic studies. Despite the high variability of exergame contexts, dosage, populations, and outcome assessments, improvements in executive function comparing exergaming to passive control conditions were exhibited across all studies. While there is evidence of exergaming demonstrating advantages over passive control conditions, evidence is mixed when comparing exergaming to sedentary cognitive and exercise comparison conditions. Potential sources of these mixed results and future directions to address current gaps in the field are identified. As video game and technology use grows exponentially and concerns of childhood sedentary behavior and play deprivation increase, evidence-based practices that promote both physical and cognitive activity are needed.

SC2EGSet: StarCraft II Esport Replay and Game-state Dataset

As a relatively new form of sport, esports offers unparalleled data availability. Our work aims to open esports to a broader scientific community by supplying raw and pre-processed files from StarCraft II esports tournaments. These files can be used in statistical and machine learning modeling tasks and compared to laboratory-based measurements. Additionally, we open-sourced and published all the custom tools that were developed in the process of creating our dataset. These tools include PyTorch and PyTorch Lightning API abstractions to load and model the data. Our dataset contains replays from major and premiere StarCraft II tournaments since 2016. We processed 55 "replaypacks" that contained 17930 files with game-state information. Our dataset is one of the few large publicly available sources of StarCraft II data upon its publication. Analysis of the extracted data holds promise for further Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), psychological, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and sports-related studies in a variety of supervised and self-supervised tasks.

Potential cognitive and neural benefits of a computerised cognitive training programme based on Structure Learning in healthy adults: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Cognitive flexibility refers to the capacity to shift between conceptual representations particularly in response to changes in instruction and feedback. It enables individuals to swiftly adapt to changes in their environment and has significant implications for learning. The present study focuses on investigating changes in cognitive flexibility following an intervention programme-Structure Learning training.

METHODS

Participants are pseudo-randomised to either the Training or Control group, while matched on age, sex, intelligence and cognitive flexibility performance. In the Training group, participants undergo around 2 weeks of training (at least 13 sessions) on Structure Learning. In the Control group, participants do not have to undergo any training and are never exposed to the Structure Learning task. The effects of Structure Learning training are investigated at both the behavioural and neural level. We measured covariates that can influence an individual's training performance before the training phase and outcome measures that can potentially show training benefits after the training phase. At the behavioural level, we investigated outcomes in both cognitive and social aspects with a primary focus on executive functions. At the neural level, we employed a multimodality approach and investigated potential changes to functional connectivity patterns, neurometabolite concentration in the frontal brain regions, and brain microstructure and myelination.

DISCUSSION

We reported the development of a novel training programme based on Structure Learning that aims to hone a general learning ability to potentially achieve extensive transfer benefits across various cognitive constructs. Potential transfer benefits can be exhibited through better performance in outcome measures between Training and Control participants, and positive associations between training performance and outcomes after the training in Training participants. Moreover, we attempt to substantiate behavioural findings with evidence of neural changes across different imaging modalities by the Structure Learning training.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

National Institutes of Health U.S. National Library of Medicine ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05611788. Registered on 7 November 2022.

PROTOCOL VERSION

11 May 2023.

A game-factors approach to cognitive benefits from video-game training: A meta-analysis

This current study is a meta-analysis conducted on 63 studies on video-game based cognitive interventions (118 investigations, N = 2,079), which demonstrated a moderate and significant training effect on overall gains in cognition, g = 0.25, p < .001. Significant evidence of transfer was found to overall cognition, as well as to attention/perception and higher-order cognition constructs. Examination of specific gameplay features however showed selective and differential transfer to these outcome measures, whereas the genre labels of "action", "strategy", "casual", and "non-casual" were not similarly predictive of outcomes. We therefore recommend that future video-game interventions targeting cognitive enhancements should consider gameplay feature classification approach over existing genre classification, which may provide more fruitful training-related benefits to cognition.

Higher working memory capacity and distraction-resistance associated with strategy (not action) game playing in younger adults, but puzzle game playing in older adults

Superior attention and Working Memory (WM) have been reported for habitual action video gamers compared to other gamers or non-players. With an online experiment we measured visuo-spatial WM capacity and ability to ignore distraction, and participants listed the video games they played. Categorising the 209 young adult participants (18-30 years) according to the game type they predominantly played revealed superior WM capacity for strategy and action gamers compared to non-players. However, re-categorising the games according to their constituent game types revealed superior WM capacity and distraction resistance associated with strategy but not action game components. In contrast to younger adults, data from 181 older adults (60-81 years) showed superior WM capacity and distractor-resistance for puzzle gamers, which was equivalent to that of younger adults. The results highlight the need to consider component game types in games research and inform the design of age-appropriate cognitive interventions.

Kinematic markers of skill in first-person shooter video games

Video games present a unique opportunity to study motor skill. First-person shooter (FPS) games have particular utility because they require visually guided hand movements that are similar to widely studied planar reaching tasks. However, there is a need to ensure the tasks are equivalent if FPS games are to yield their potential as a powerful scientific tool for investigating sensorimotor control. Specifically, research is needed to ensure that differences in visual feedback of a movement do not affect motor learning between the two contexts. In traditional tasks, a movement will translate a cursor across a static background, whereas FPS games use movements to pan and tilt the view of the environment. To this end, we designed an online experiment where participants used their mouse or trackpad to shoot targets in both visual contexts. Kinematic analysis showed player movements were nearly identical between contexts, with highly correlated spatial and temporal metrics. This similarity suggests a shared internal model based on comparing predicted and observed displacement vectors rather than primary sensory feedback. A second experiment, modeled on FPS-style aim-trainer games, found movements exhibited classic invariant features described within the sensorimotor literature. We found the spatial metrics tested were significant predictors of overall task performance. More broadly, these results show that FPS games offer a novel, engaging, and compelling environment to study sensorimotor skill, providing the same precise kinematic metrics as traditional planar reaching tasks.

Exergaming and education: a relational model for games selection and evaluation

Exergaming, or technology-driven physical exercise, has gained popularity in recent years. Its applications include physical education, health promotion, and rehabilitation. Although studies have obtained promising results regarding the positive effects of exergaming, the outcomes of exergaming for different populations remain undetermined. Inconsistencies in the literature on this topic have multiple potential explanations, including the content and demand of the exergames and the capability of the exergamer. A model with a sound theoretical framework is required to facilitate matching between games and gamers. This article proposes a relational model based on a matrix of Bloom's taxonomy of learning domains and the performance components of exergames. Appropriate matching of the physical demands of an exergame and the ability of the exergamer would enhance the effective usage of exergaming for individuals with various needs. This theory-based exergame model is developed to promote the general development, physical status, and psychosocial well-being of students, older adults, and individuals with rehabilitation needs. This model may provide a resource for future research on the application, effectiveness, and design of exergaming.

Video game experience affects performance, cognitive load, and brain activity in laparoscopic surgery training

Objectives

Video games can be a valuable tool for surgery training. Individuals who interact or play video games tend to have a better visuospatial ability when compared to non-gamers. Numerous studies suggest that video game experience is associated with faster acquisition, greater sharpening, and longer retention of laparoscopic skills. Given the neurocognitive complexity of surgery skill, multimodal approaches are required to understand how video game playing enhances laparoscopy skill.

Material and Methods

Twenty-seven students with no laparoscopy experience and varying levels of video game experience performed standard laparoscopic training tasks. Their performance, subjective cognitive loading, and prefrontal cortical activity were recorded and analyzed. As a reference point to use in comparing the two novice groups, we also included data from 13 surgeons with varying levels of laparoscopy experience and no video game experience.

Results

Results indicated that video game experience was correlated with higher performance (R2 = 0.22, p <0.01) and lower cognitive load (R2 = 0.21, p <0.001), and the prefrontal cortical activation of students with gaming experience was relatively lower than those without gaming experience. In terms of these variables, gaming experience in novices tended to produce effects similar to those of laparoscopy experience in surgeons.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that along the dimensions of performance, cognitive load, and brain activity, the effects of video gaming experience on novice laparoscopy trainees are similar to those of real-world laparoscopy experience on surgeons. We believe that the neural underpinnings of surgery skill and its links with gaming experience need to be investigated further using wearable functional brain imaging.

Nutrition, lifestyle, and cognitive performance in esport athletes

Introduction

Electronic sports, termed esports, is a growing athletic activity in which high levels of attention and cognitive performance are required. With its increasing popularity and competitiveness, interest in strategies to improve performance have emerged. Improving esports athlete performance, namely cognitive endurance, and resilience, may lie in nutritional or lifestyle factors. The Nutrition, Vision, and Cognition in Sport Studies (IONSport) investigated nutritional and behavioral factors that can influence cognition via 3-dimensional multiple objects tracking test (3DMOT) via Neurotracker X (NTx) software. The purpose of this study was to characterize the lifestyle of high level esports athletes with detailed nutrition, sleep, and physical activity assessments, and their association to gaming related cognitive performance.

Methods

103 male and 16 elite female esports athletes aged 16 to 35 years old completed surveys, food records, and cognitive testing sessions over 10 days. Participants were instructed to maintain their normal dietary and lifestyle habits.

Results

There were positive significant associations between average NTx scores and the following nutrients: magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc, selenium, thiamin, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, folate, cholesterol, saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fats, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and choline. Majority of participants did not meet recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for these micronutrients nor the recommended intakes for dairy, fruit, and vegetables. There was a significant (p = 0.003) positive (r = 0.272) association between total vegetable intake and average NTx score. There was a significant negative association (p = 0.015) with our final sustain session, which measured cognitive resilience, and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale score. Repeated measures analysis was done with these groups over the 18 core NTx sessions. There were significant (p = 0.018) differences between the two groups with those who consumed the recommended amount of protein or more performing significantly better on NTx over the 18 sessions than those that did not consume enough protein. Those who consumed the recommended intakes for riboflavin, phosphorous, vitamin B12, and selenium performed significantly better over the 18 core NTx sessions than those that did not meet the recommended amounts.

Discussion

The need for a nutrition intervention that is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals is warranted in this population.

Defining perplexity and reflective thinking in a game-based learning environment

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of perplexity in young players’ experiences within an educational videogame and how reflective thinking can help them to get out of perplexing scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

We used a constructivist grounded theory approach and the lenses of Dewey’s conceptualization of perplexity and reflective thinking to examine young players’ in-game experiences.

Findings

We find that perplexity in gameplay is an experience that occurs when players encounter uncertainty about where to go or what to do next in the game. Findings reveal that while playing an educational game players engaged in two forms of perplexity – exploration-based and puzzle-based. Additionally, we unpack how players overcome these perplexing scenarios by reflecting on the information provided in the game.

Research limitations/implications

While in a state of perplexity, reflecting on the in-game information aids players to think and make meaning, thus supporting learning. We provide suggestions for how to better utilize perplexity as an in-game design mechanism to encourage young players to reflect on in-game information.

Originality/value

This empirical study is original in its context of studying the phenomenon of perplexity in videogames and young players’ in-game reflection experiences.

The mechanisms of far transfer from cognitive training: specifying the role of distraction suppression

Cognitive training aims to produce a durable transfer to untrained abilities (i.e., far transfer). However, designing effective programs is difficult, because far transfer mechanisms are not well understood. Greenwood and Parasuraman (Neuropsychol 30(6):742-755. https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000235 , 2016) proposed that the ability to ignore distractions is key in promoting far transfer. While the authors identified working-memory training based on the N-back task as an effective way to train distraction suppression, a recent meta-analysis concluded that this form of training rarely produces far transfer. Such inconsistency casts doubt onto the importance of distraction suppression in far transfer and calls for further examination of the role of this ability in cognitive training effectiveness. We propose here to conceptualize distraction suppression in the light of the load theory of attention, which distinguishes two mechanisms of distractor rejection depending on the level and type of information load involved: perceptual selection and cognitive control. From that standpoint, N-back training engages a single suppression mechanism, namely cognitive control, because it mainly involves low perceptual load. In the present study, we compared the efficacy of N-back training in producing far transfer to that of a new response-competition training paradigm that solicits both distraction suppression mechanisms. Response-competition training was the only one to produce far transfer effects relative to an active control training. These findings provided further support to Greenwood and Parasuraman's hypothesis and suggest that both selection perception and cognitive control need to be engaged during training to increase the ability to suppress distraction, hence to promote far transfer.

What's in a game: Video game visual-spatial demand location exhibits a double dissociation with reading speed

This research sought to clarify the nature of the relationship between video game experience, attention, and reading. Previous studies have suggested playing action video games can improve reading ability in children with dyslexia. Other research has linked video game experience with visual-spatial attention, and visual-spatial attention with reading. We hypothesized that the visual-spatial demands of video games may drive relationships with reading through attentional processing. In this experiment we used a hybrid attention/reading task to explore the relationship between video game visual-spatial demands, reading and attention. We also developed novel visual-spatial demand measures using participants' top five played video games for an individual-specific measure of visual demands. Peripheral visual demands in video games were associated with faster reading times, while central visual demands were associated with slower reading times for both phonetic decoding and lexical reading. In addition, video game experience in terms of hours spent playing video games each week interacted with the cueing effect size in the lexical reading condition, with experienced video game players exhibiting a larger cueing effect than participants with less video game experience. These results suggest that exposure to peripheral visual spatial demands in video games may be related to both lexical and sublexical reading processes in hybrid attentional reading tasks such as ours with skilled adult readers, which has implications not only for models of how ventral and dorsal stream reading and visual-spatial attention are integrated, but also for the development of dyslexia diagnostics and remediation.

Positive effects of online games on the growth of college students: A qualitative study from China

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the positive effects of online games on college students' psychological demands and individual growth.

Methods

A qualitative study design was carried out in September 2021. Semi-structured, in-depth, and individual interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 20 undergraduates who played the online game "Glory of Kings" from six universities. Thematic analysis was employed to explore the positive features caused by "Glory of Kings".

Results

College students reported three positive effects of online games, namely, satisfying the need for personal growth, meeting the requirement of social life and promoting academic performance.

Conclusion

College educators and families should take advantage of the positive effect of online games to guide college students to use online games reasonably.

[Virtual reality technology as a promising direction in neurorehabilitation]

Nervous system damage affects more than a billion people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of cognitive impairment. An urgent issue in modern medicine is the neurorehabilitation of this particular group of patients. The purpose of this article is to search for new approaches to achieve more effective recovery of cognitive functions, precisely by using virtual reality technology as a promising direction in neurorehabilitation. It has been shown that neurobiological effects of virtual reality have a positive effect on the plasticity of neurons, improve cognitive functions and positively affect the psychoemotional state. A case of the positive impact of being in the virtual environment «Outer Space» in a female patient with cognitive impairment and chronic pain is presented.

Video games and board games: Effects of playing practice on cognition

The worldwide popularity of playing practices has led to a growing research interest in games' impact on behavior and cognition. Many studies have already reported the benefits of both video games and board games for cognitive functions. However, these studies have mainly defined the term players according to a minimum play time or in connection to a specific game genre. No study has confronted the cognitive implications of video games and board games in the same statistical model. Thus, it remains unclear whether the cognitive benefits of play are due to play time or game type. To address this issue, in this study, we conducted an online experiment in which 496 participants completed six cognitive tests and a playing practice questionnaire. We examined the between the participants' overall video game and board game play times and cognitive abilities. The results demonstrated significant relations between overall play time and all cognitive functions. Importantly, video games significantly predicted mental flexibility, planning, visual working memory, visuospatial processing, fluid intelligence, and verbal working memory performance, while board games were not found to predict any cognitive performance. These findings suggest that video games affect cognitive functions in specific ways compared to board games. We encourage further investigation to consider players' individual differences through their play time and the specific features of the games they play.

Internet and Video Games: Causes of Behavioral Disorders in Children and Teenagers

Even though video games have been present among children for many years, children are using them more continuously and in an abusive and indiscriminate way nowadays because of the "technological boom". It is affecting the behavior of children and adolescents. This is the reason why we are carrying out this systematic review. The main objective of this article is to investigate literature that directly connects the continuous and undifferentiated use of video games with the emergence of behavioral disorders in children and young people. The PRISMA statement was followed in the process of this article. We used SCOPUS, Web of Science and PubMed as databases, moreover, we searched studies with a scoping review. The results indisputably supported six out of seven of our hypotheses. We find that the excessive use of video games causes addiction to technology, aggressive behaviors, sleep disorders, and poor school performance. In addition, it hinders social relationships and the development of emotional intelligence. To conclude, it is necessary to correctly use video games in particular, and technologies in general, adapting their content to children's age, as well as the amount of time that they dedicate to use them.

Post-stroke rehabilitation of the ankle joint with a low cost monoarticular ankle robotic exoskeleton: Preliminary results

Introduction: Stroke generates a high rate of disability and, in particular, ankle spasticity is a sequelae that interferes with the execution of daily activities. Robotic devices have been proposed to offer rehabilitation treatments to recover control of ankle muscles and hence to improve gait function. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of passive stretching, combined with active and resisted movement, accompanied by visual feedback, by means of playful interactive software using a low-cost monoarticular robot (MEXO) in patients with stroke sequelae and spastic ankle. Methods: An open, uncontrolled, non-randomised, quasi-experimental study of 6 weeks duration has been completed. A protocol has been defined to determine the usability, safety and potential benefits of supplementary treatment with the MEXO interactive system in a group of patients. Nine volunteer patients with sequelae of stroke who met the inclusion criteria were included. They received conventional treatment and in addition also received treatment with the MEXO monoarticular robot three times a week during 6 weeks. Each session consisted of 10 min of passive stretching followed by 20 min of active movement training with visual feedback (10 min active without resistance, 10 min with resistance) and a final phase with 10 min of passive stretching. The following variables were measured pre- and post-treatment: joint range of motion and ankle muscle strength, monopodal balance, muscle tone, gait ability and satisfaction with the use of assistive technology. Results: Statistically significant improvements were obtained in joint range measured by goniometry and in balance measured by monopodal balance test. Also in walking capacity, through the measurement of travelled distance. Discussion and significance: Device usability and patient safety were tested. Patients improved joint range and monopodal balance. The MEXO exoskeleton might be a good alternative for the treatment of spastic ankle joint in people with a stroke sequela.

Scare-Away Risks: The Effects of a Serious Game on Adolescents’ Awareness of Health and Security Risks in an Italian Sample

Digital games can be defined as games supported by audiovisual apparatus and based on storytelling. This work aims to frame video games in the recent perspective offered by positive psychology and focuses on risk perception and on the promotion of protective behaviors in adolescent students, by means of a new Italian ad hoc created digital game named ‘Scare-away risks’ (Scacciarischi). In its storytelling, the different characters must defeat monsters that symbolically represent potential risks in home, school and work contexts. On this basis, the present study assumes that playing video games, as an engaging and motivating activity, can improve the adolescents’ psychological perception of home, school and work risks. To verify these hypotheses, a quasi-experiment comparing students who played Scacciarischi (experimental group) with a control group was conducted. At the end of the game, a questionnaire was administered to 149 participants, balanced for gender, investigating (a) the level of engagement during the game, (b) the perceived risks, (c) the locus of control, (d) the protective behavior intentions. The results showed that playing Scacciarischi is related to higher levels of engagement, internal locus of control, risk perception and protective behavioral intentions. In addition, both engagement and internal locus of control act as precursors of the other two variables. Finally, reflections about the importance of the engaging experience of Scacciarischi in the domain of safety, prevention and health issues are proposed.

Neurocognitive analyses reveal that video game players exhibit enhanced implicit temporal processing

Winning in action video games requires to predict timed events in order to react fast enough. In these games, repeated waiting for enemies may help to develop implicit (incidental) preparation mechanisms. We compared action video game players and non-video game players in a reaction time task involving both implicit time preparations and explicit (conscious) temporal attention cues. Participants were immersed in virtual reality and instructed to respond to a visual target appearing at variable delays after a warning signal. In half of the trials, an explicit cue indicated when the target would occur after the warning signal. Behavioral, oculomotor and EEG data consistently indicate that, compared with non-video game players, video game players better prepare in time using implicit mechanisms. This sheds light on the neglected role of implicit timing and related electrophysiological mechanisms in gaming research. The results further suggest that game-based interventions may help remediate implicit timing disorders found in psychiatric populations.

Association of Video Gaming With Cognitive Performance Among Children

IMPORTANCE

Although most research has linked video gaming to subsequent increases in aggressive behavior in children after accounting for prior aggression, findings have been divided with respect to video gaming's association with cognitive skills.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between video gaming and cognition in children using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

In this case-control study, cognitive performance and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal were compared in video gamers (VGs) and non-video gamers (NVGs) during response inhibition and working memory using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a large data set of 9- and 10-year-old children from the ABCD study, with good control of demographic, behavioral, and psychiatric confounding effects. A sample from the baseline assessment of the ABCD 2.0.1 release in 2019 was largely recruited across 21 sites in the US through public, private, and charter elementary schools using a population neuroscience approach to recruitment, aiming to mirror demographic variation in the US population. Children with valid neuroimaging and behavioral data were included. Some exclusions included common MRI contraindications, history of major neurologic disorders, and history of traumatic brain injury.

EXPOSURES

Participants completed a self-reported screen time survey including an item asking children to report the time specifically spent on video gaming. All fMRI tasks were performed by all participants.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Video gaming time, cognitive performance, and BOLD signal assessed with n-back and stop signal tasks on fMRI. Collected data were analyzed between October 2019 and October 2020.

RESULTS

A total of 2217 children (mean [SD] age, 9.91 [0.62] years; 1399 [63.1%] female) participated in this study. The final sample used in the stop signal task analyses consisted of 1128 NVGs (0 gaming hours per week) and 679 VGs who played at least 21 hours per week. The final sample used in the n-back analyses consisted of 1278 NVGs who had never played video games (0 hours per week of gaming) and 800 VGs who played at least 21 hours per week. The VGs performed better on both fMRI tasks compared with the NVGs. Nonparametric analyses of fMRI data demonstrated a greater BOLD signal in VGs in the precuneus during inhibitory control. During working memory, a smaller BOLD signal was observed in VGs in parts of the occipital cortex and calcarine sulcus and a larger BOLD signal in the cingulate, middle, and frontal gyri and the precuneus.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this study, compared with NVGs, VGs were found to exhibit better cognitive performance involving response inhibition and working memory as well as altered BOLD signal in key regions of the cortex responsible for visual, attention, and memory processing. The findings are consistent with videogaming improving cognitive abilities that involve response inhibition and working memory and altering their underlying cortical pathways.

Videogaming Frequency and Executive Skills in Young Adults

Many studies have shown that "action" videogames (VG) training can improve various cognitive aspects (such as attention, enumeration skill, problem solving, vigilance, inhibitory control and decision making). Unfortunately, independently by VG genre, little research has been conducted on the relevance of videogaming frequency to modulate cognitive performance. In the present study, we investigated the differences between two groups of young adults (Experienced Gamers and Casual Gamers, respectively, EGs and CGs) in some attentional and executive abilities. To this end, 19 EGs (age 23.21 ± 1.68 years; gaming frequency 46.42 ± 11.15 h/week) and 19 CGs (age 23.10 ± 2.28 years; gaming frequency 1.31 ± 1.76 h/week) were selected and asked to complete a computer-based and customized version of an executive battery (i.e., Attention Network Task, Game of Dice task, Go/NoGo task and Task Switching). The results showed better basic attentional abilities and alertness level (i.e., as indicated by faster reaction times (RTs) and greater accuracy) in EGs compared to CGs. Moreover, EGs showed a more efficient decision making than CGs, particularly evident in risky decisions. Taken together, such results show that an executive functioning improvement can be observed as a consequence of continuous and constant exposure to VG, independently by the specific genre played. These data can be a useful starting point to develop new and innovative executive training protocols, based and inspired to videogames to be applied in clinical populations suffering, for example, from dysexecutive impairment.