Playing Super Mario induces structural brain plasticity: gray matter changes resulting from training with a commercial video game
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Playing Super Mario induces structural brain plasticity: gray matter changes resulting from training with a commercial video game. / Kühn, S; Gleich, T; Lorenz, R C; Lindenberger, U; Gallinat, J.
In: MOL PSYCHIATR, Vol. 19, No. 2, 02.2014, p. 265-71.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Playing Super Mario induces structural brain plasticity: gray matter changes resulting from training with a commercial video game
AU - Kühn, S
AU - Gleich, T
AU - Lorenz, R C
AU - Lindenberger, U
AU - Gallinat, J
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - Video gaming is a highly pervasive activity, providing a multitude of complex cognitive and motor demands. Gaming can be seen as an intense training of several skills. Associated cerebral structural plasticity induced has not been investigated so far. Comparing a control with a video gaming training group that was trained for 2 months for at least 30 min per day with a platformer game, we found significant gray matter (GM) increase in right hippocampal formation (HC), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and bilateral cerebellum in the training group. The HC increase correlated with changes from egocentric to allocentric navigation strategy. GM increases in HC and DLPFC correlated with participants' desire for video gaming, evidence suggesting a predictive role of desire in volume change. Video game training augments GM in brain areas crucial for spatial navigation, strategic planning, working memory and motor performance going along with evidence for behavioral changes of navigation strategy. The presented video game training could therefore be used to counteract known risk factors for mental disease such as smaller hippocampus and prefrontal cortex volume in, for example, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and neurodegenerative disease.
AB - Video gaming is a highly pervasive activity, providing a multitude of complex cognitive and motor demands. Gaming can be seen as an intense training of several skills. Associated cerebral structural plasticity induced has not been investigated so far. Comparing a control with a video gaming training group that was trained for 2 months for at least 30 min per day with a platformer game, we found significant gray matter (GM) increase in right hippocampal formation (HC), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and bilateral cerebellum in the training group. The HC increase correlated with changes from egocentric to allocentric navigation strategy. GM increases in HC and DLPFC correlated with participants' desire for video gaming, evidence suggesting a predictive role of desire in volume change. Video game training augments GM in brain areas crucial for spatial navigation, strategic planning, working memory and motor performance going along with evidence for behavioral changes of navigation strategy. The presented video game training could therefore be used to counteract known risk factors for mental disease such as smaller hippocampus and prefrontal cortex volume in, for example, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and neurodegenerative disease.
KW - Brain
KW - Female
KW - Functional Laterality
KW - Hippocampus
KW - Humans
KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
KW - Male
KW - Motivation
KW - Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated
KW - Neuronal Plasticity
KW - Organ Size
KW - Orientation
KW - Practice (Psychology)
KW - Prefrontal Cortex
KW - Space Perception
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
KW - Thinking
KW - Time Factors
KW - Video Games
KW - Young Adult
U2 - 10.1038/mp.2013.120
DO - 10.1038/mp.2013.120
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 24166407
VL - 19
SP - 265
EP - 271
JO - MOL PSYCHIATR
JF - MOL PSYCHIATR
SN - 1359-4184
IS - 2
ER -
