Larger Right Posterior Parietal Volume in Action Video Game Experts: A Behavioral and Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) Study

Satoshi Tanaka; Hanako Ikeda; Kazumi Kasahara; Ryo Kato; Hiroyuki Tsubomi; Sho K. Sugawara; Makoto Mori; Takashi Hanakawa; Norihiro Sadato; Manabu Honda; Katsumi Watanabe

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066998

Larger Right Posterior Parietal Volume in Action Video Game Experts: A Behavioral and Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) Study

Satoshi Tanaka^*, Hanako Ikeda, Kazumi Kasahara, Ryo Kato, Hiroyuki Tsubomi, Sho K. Sugawara, Makoto Mori, Takashi Hanakawa, Norihiro Sadato, Manabu Honda, Katsumi Watanabe

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

52 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that action video game players exhibit superior performance in visuospatial cognitive tasks compared with non-game players. However, the neural basis underlying this visuospatial cognitive performance advantage remains largely unknown. The present human behavioral and imaging study compared gray matter volume in action video game experts and non-experts using structural magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry analysis. The results revealed significantly larger gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex in experts compared with non-experts. Furthermore, the larger gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex significantly correlated with individual performance in a visual working memory task in experts. These results suggest that differences in brain structure may be linked to extensive video game play, leading to superior visuospatial cognitive performance in action video game experts.

Original language	English
Article number	e66998
Journal	PloS one
Volume	8
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066998
Publication status	Published - 2013 Jun 11
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

Access to Document

10.1371/journal.pone.0066998

Cite this

@article{0f7fca2100594bf5b5d0a86ca2fda790,

title = "Larger Right Posterior Parietal Volume in Action Video Game Experts: A Behavioral and Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) Study",

abstract = "Recent studies suggest that action video game players exhibit superior performance in visuospatial cognitive tasks compared with non-game players. However, the neural basis underlying this visuospatial cognitive performance advantage remains largely unknown. The present human behavioral and imaging study compared gray matter volume in action video game experts and non-experts using structural magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry analysis. The results revealed significantly larger gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex in experts compared with non-experts. Furthermore, the larger gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex significantly correlated with individual performance in a visual working memory task in experts. These results suggest that differences in brain structure may be linked to extensive video game play, leading to superior visuospatial cognitive performance in action video game experts.",

author = "Satoshi Tanaka and Hanako Ikeda and Kazumi Kasahara and Ryo Kato and Hiroyuki Tsubomi and Sugawara, {Sho K.} and Makoto Mori and Takashi Hanakawa and Norihiro Sadato and Manabu Honda and Katsumi Watanabe",

year = "2013",

month = jun,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1371/journal.pone.0066998",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

journal = "PLoS One",

issn = "1932-6203",

publisher = "Public Library of Science",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Larger Right Posterior Parietal Volume in Action Video Game Experts

T2 - A Behavioral and Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) Study

AU - Tanaka, Satoshi

AU - Ikeda, Hanako

AU - Kasahara, Kazumi

AU - Kato, Ryo

AU - Tsubomi, Hiroyuki

AU - Sugawara, Sho K.

AU - Mori, Makoto

AU - Hanakawa, Takashi

AU - Sadato, Norihiro

AU - Honda, Manabu

AU - Watanabe, Katsumi

PY - 2013/6/11

Y1 - 2013/6/11

N2 - Recent studies suggest that action video game players exhibit superior performance in visuospatial cognitive tasks compared with non-game players. However, the neural basis underlying this visuospatial cognitive performance advantage remains largely unknown. The present human behavioral and imaging study compared gray matter volume in action video game experts and non-experts using structural magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry analysis. The results revealed significantly larger gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex in experts compared with non-experts. Furthermore, the larger gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex significantly correlated with individual performance in a visual working memory task in experts. These results suggest that differences in brain structure may be linked to extensive video game play, leading to superior visuospatial cognitive performance in action video game experts.

AB - Recent studies suggest that action video game players exhibit superior performance in visuospatial cognitive tasks compared with non-game players. However, the neural basis underlying this visuospatial cognitive performance advantage remains largely unknown. The present human behavioral and imaging study compared gray matter volume in action video game experts and non-experts using structural magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry analysis. The results revealed significantly larger gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex in experts compared with non-experts. Furthermore, the larger gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex significantly correlated with individual performance in a visual working memory task in experts. These results suggest that differences in brain structure may be linked to extensive video game play, leading to superior visuospatial cognitive performance in action video game experts.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84878891233&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84878891233&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0066998

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0066998

M3 - Article

C2 - 23776706

AN - SCOPUS:84878891233

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 8

JO - PLoS One

JF - PLoS One

IS - 6

M1 - e66998

ER -

Larger Right Posterior Parietal Volume in Action Video Game Experts: A Behavioral and Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) Study

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this