Positive association of video game playing with left frontal cortical thickness in adolescents
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Positive association of video game playing with left frontal cortical thickness in adolescents. / Kühn, Simone; Lorenz, Robert; Banaschewski, Tobias; Barker, Gareth J; Büchel, Christian; Conrod, Patricia J; Flor, Herta; Garavan, Hugh; Ittermann, Bernd; Loth, Eva; Mann, Karl; Nees, Frauke; Artiges, Eric; Paus, Tomas; Rietschel, Marcella; Smolka, Michael N; Ströhle, Andreas; Walaszek, Bernadetta; Schumann, Gunter; Heinz, Andreas; Gallinat, Jürgen; IMAGEN Consortium.
In: PLOS ONE, Vol. 9, No. 3, 2014, p. e91506.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Positive association of video game playing with left frontal cortical thickness in adolescents
AU - Kühn, Simone
AU - Lorenz, Robert
AU - Banaschewski, Tobias
AU - Barker, Gareth J
AU - Büchel, Christian
AU - Conrod, Patricia J
AU - Flor, Herta
AU - Garavan, Hugh
AU - Ittermann, Bernd
AU - Loth, Eva
AU - Mann, Karl
AU - Nees, Frauke
AU - Artiges, Eric
AU - Paus, Tomas
AU - Rietschel, Marcella
AU - Smolka, Michael N
AU - Ströhle, Andreas
AU - Walaszek, Bernadetta
AU - Schumann, Gunter
AU - Heinz, Andreas
AU - Gallinat, Jürgen
AU - IMAGEN Consortium
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Playing video games is a common recreational activity of adolescents. Recent research associated frequent video game playing with improvements in cognitive functions. Improvements in cognition have been related to grey matter changes in prefrontal cortex. However, a fine-grained analysis of human brain structure in relation to video gaming is lacking. In magnetic resonance imaging scans of 152 14-year old adolescents, FreeSurfer was used to estimate cortical thickness. Cortical thickness across the whole cortical surface was correlated with self-reported duration of video gaming (hours per week). A robust positive association between cortical thickness and video gaming duration was observed in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left frontal eye fields (FEFs). No regions showed cortical thinning in association with video gaming frequency. DLPFC is the core correlate of executive control and strategic planning which in turn are essential cognitive domains for successful video gaming. The FEFs are a key region involved in visuo-motor integration important for programming and execution of eye movements and allocation of visuo-spatial attention, processes engaged extensively in video games. The results may represent the biological basis of previously reported cognitive improvements due to video game play. Whether or not these results represent a-priori characteristics or consequences of video gaming should be studied in future longitudinal investigations.
AB - Playing video games is a common recreational activity of adolescents. Recent research associated frequent video game playing with improvements in cognitive functions. Improvements in cognition have been related to grey matter changes in prefrontal cortex. However, a fine-grained analysis of human brain structure in relation to video gaming is lacking. In magnetic resonance imaging scans of 152 14-year old adolescents, FreeSurfer was used to estimate cortical thickness. Cortical thickness across the whole cortical surface was correlated with self-reported duration of video gaming (hours per week). A robust positive association between cortical thickness and video gaming duration was observed in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left frontal eye fields (FEFs). No regions showed cortical thinning in association with video gaming frequency. DLPFC is the core correlate of executive control and strategic planning which in turn are essential cognitive domains for successful video gaming. The FEFs are a key region involved in visuo-motor integration important for programming and execution of eye movements and allocation of visuo-spatial attention, processes engaged extensively in video games. The results may represent the biological basis of previously reported cognitive improvements due to video game play. Whether or not these results represent a-priori characteristics or consequences of video gaming should be studied in future longitudinal investigations.
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0091506
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0091506
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 24633348
VL - 9
SP - e91506
JO - PLOS ONE
JF - PLOS ONE
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 3
ER -