Impact of videogame play on the brain’s microstructural properties: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses

Abstract

Videogame play (VGP) has been associated with numerous preferred and non-preferred effects. However, the effects of VGP on the development of microstructural properties in children, particularly those associated with negative psychological consequences of VGP, have not been identified to date. The purpose of this study was to investigate this issue through cross-sectional and longitudinal prospective analyses. In the present study of humans, we used the diffusion tensor imaging mean diffusivity (MD) measurement to measure microstructural properties and examined cross-sectional correlations with the amount of VGP in 114 boys and 126 girls. We also assessed correlations between the amount of VGP and longitudinal changes in MD that developed after 3.0±0.3 (s.d.) years in 95 boys and 94 girls. After correcting for confounding factors, we found that the amount of VGP was associated with increased MD in the left middle, inferior and orbital frontal cortex; left pallidum; left putamen; left hippocampus; left caudate; right putamen; right insula; and thalamus in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Regardless of intelligence quotient type, higher MD in the areas of the left thalamus, left hippocampus, left putamen, left insula and left Heschl gyrus was associated with lower intelligence. We also confirmed an association between the amount of VGP and decreased verbal intelligence in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. In conclusion, increased VGP is directly or indirectly associated with delayed development of the microstructure in extensive brain regions and verbal intelligence.

How younger elderly realize usefulness of cognitive training video games to maintain their independent living

“…Dr. Kawashima's games are a collection of puzzle-type games which ask cognitive questions. The use of this game set has shown some evidence that memory performance can improve in elderly people (De Giglio et al, 2015;Nouchi et al, 2013;Takeuchi et al, 2016). This is shown through the previous research on the playing of this game over Xbox Kinect platform (Damian Sue et al, 2014;Vichitvanichphong et al, 2016), which suggests that because exercises on this platform require that answers be performed through physical actions, the elderly were active and engaged.…”

Association of copper levels in the hair with gray matter volume, mean diffusivity, and cognitive functions

“…For more details, see "Supplemental Methods". Descriptions in this subsection were mostly reproduced from a previous study using similar methods (Takeuchi et al 2016a). Quality of the all types of the obtained imaging data was checked by visual inspection and images of low quality were not used in this project.…”

“…Preprocessing and analysis of diffusion weighted imaging data were performed using SPM8 implemented in Matlab. Most of the following descriptions were reproduced from our previous study using the similar methods (Takeuchi et al, 2016a). normalized.…”

Lenticular nucleus correlates of general self-efficacy in young adults

“…Reductions in MD are considered to reflect changes in tissue, such as astrocyte swelling, synaptic changes, dendritic spine changes, and angiogenesis, that are caused by neural plasticity (Sagi et al 2012 ; Johansen-Berg et al 2012 ). As we mentioned previously (Takeuchi et al 2016a ), MD is considered to represent axonal and myelin integrity, including of capillaries, synapses, spines, and macromolecular proteins; properties of myelin, membranes, and axons; the shape of neurons or glia; enhanced tissue organisation. On the other hand, FA is not only related to axonal count and density and degree of myelination, but also to fibre organisation (degree of parallel organisation of axons) (Winston 2012 ).…”