Gaming expertise induces meso‑scale brain plasticity and efficiency mechanisms as revealed by whole-brain modeling
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Video games are a valuable tool for studying the effects of training and neural plasticity on the brain. However, the underlying mechanisms related to plasticity-associated brain structural changes and their impact on brain dynamics are unknown. Here, we used a semi-empirical whole-brain model to study structural neural plasticity mechanisms linked to video game expertise. We hypothesized that video game expertise is associated with neural plasticity-mediated changes in structural connectivity that manifest at the meso‑scale level, resulting in a more segregated functional network topology. To test this hypothesis, we combined structural connectivity data of StarCraft II video game players (VGPs, n = 31) and non-players (NVGPs, n = 31), with generic fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project and computational models, to generate simulated fMRI recordings. Graph theory analysis on simulated data was performed during both resting-state conditions and external stimulation. VGPs' simulated functional connectivity was characterized by a meso‑scale integration, with increased local connectivity in frontal, parietal, and occipital brain regions. The same analyses at the level of structural connectivity showed no differences between VGPs and NVGPs. Regions that increased their connectivity strength in VGPs are known to be involved in cognitive processes crucial for task performance such as attention, reasoning, and inference. In-silico stimulation suggested that differences in FC between VGPs and NVGPs emerge in noisy contexts, specifically when the noisy level of stimulation is increased. This indicates that the connectomes of VGPs may facilitate the filtering of noise from stimuli. These structural alterations drive the meso‑scale functional changes observed in individuals with gaming expertise. Overall, our work sheds light on the mechanisms underlying structural neural plasticity triggered by video game experiences.
Source: NeuroImage
Institutions: University of California, San Francisco, Trinity College Dublin, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Global Brain Health Institute, University of Valparaíso, The University of Sydney, University of Chile, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires, Uniwersytet SWPS, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, University of San Andrés
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,450
Funders: Alzheimer's Association, Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Fogarty International Center, Fondo de Fomento al Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico, Fondo de Financiamiento de Centros de Investigación en Áreas Prioritarias
Awards: G103627852, G1581799926, G1919018801, G2118524674, MACHINE LEARNING FOR MENTAL HEALTH NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND APPLICATIONS USING MULTIMODAL DATA, G3481889345, REVEALING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIGH-ORDER INTERDEPENDENCIES AND CRITICAL-LIKE BEHAVIOR IN BIOPHYSICAL NEURAL NETWORKS, G3628792472, CENTRO DE GEROCIENCIA SALUD MENTAL Y METABOLISMO (GERO), G5253169483, MACHINE LEARNING PARA EL DIAGNOSTICO PRECOZ Y PERFIL MULTIMODAL DE LA ENFERMEDAD DE ALZHEIMER BASADO EN MIRNA DE EXOSOMAS CIRCULANTES., G5996283446, G6048384902, ADVANCED CENTER FOR ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING, SENSITIVE NEUROCOGNITIVE MARKERS OF NEURODEGENERATION A MULTI-FEATURE FRAMEWORK, G7616641907, NATURAL SPEECH MARKERS OF NEURODEGENERATION AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH FOR DISEASE DISCRIMINATION AND SYMPTOM TRACKING, MAPPING AND MODELING THE HEALTHY AND PATHOLOGICAL AGING TRAJECTORIES OF THE HUMAN BRAIN, G883642430, US-South American Initiative for Genetic-Neural-Behavioral Interactions in Human Neurodegenerative Research, Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images, and Emotions, An automated machine learning approach to language changes in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia across Latino and English-speaking populations
OpenAlex ID: W4396621969