The Effect of Brain Teaser Games on the Attention of Players Based on Hormonal and Brain Signals Changes

Abstract

Introduction: Today, evaluation and determination of the impact of computer games as an interactive media, play a significant role in cognitive and behavioral health of the individuals in the society. Computer games have been shown to have either positive or negative effects on cognitive indices among players. They also directly influence the lifestyle and quality of life of children, adolescents, and young adults. The present study was aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of the Brain Teaser game on players. Methods: Among forty-five male volunteers, a total of forty subjects with an average age of twenty years were recruited, and divided into two groups, the experimental group and control group. All required tests were conducted before and after the experimentation (playing the game) on the experimental group. Also, the tests were performed on control group, in which participants were not allowed to play the game. All assigned subjects completed a questionnaire, comprised of demographic characteristics and specific information regarding the game (e.g. game style and hours spent on playing the game). The saliva samples were collected to measure levels of Cortisol and Alpha Amylase. The salivary Alpha Amylase (sAA) and Cortisol levels were analyzed using a specific ELISA kit. Also, cognitive tests were performed using PASAT software before and after the game to assess perceptual-cognitive abilities of the players. The Brain waveforms were acquired by a 14-channel Emotiv brain signal recording device before and after the experimentation. Data analysis was conducted using R and MATLAB software. Results: PASAT test suggested that mental health and sustained attention were significantly improved, after the experimentation. In addition, the sAA and salivary Cortisol levels were significantly higher prior to the experimentation. The results of the brainwave analysis revealed that stress index and attention were significantly higher before the experimentation. Conclusion: Findings of the present study suggest that Brain Teaser games positively influence the central nervous system, and activate stress path, leading to changes in brain signals and subsequently improved cognitive elements, such as attention among players.

Neurobiological Link between Stress and Gaming: A Scoping Review

“…Unfortunately, the authors did not elaborate on the implication of brain wave change in stress relief. In contrast, opposite results were also reported-the stress marker (salivary cortisol) and the fear marker (α-amylase) levels increased after playing the brain teaser game [30].…”

“…Study sample sizes ranged from 23 to 148 participants, while group sizes varied from 11 to 50 individuals per group. Only male participants were enrolled in seven out of 11 studies [28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. While three studies enrolled adolescents as well-two with a defined age range from 15 to 25 years [31,33] and one from 16 to 29 years [32], the rest involved adult participants only.…”

“…Different types or modes of video games for participants' allocation into different groups were used in three studies [29,36,37]. One study compared high vs. low gaming involvement groups [38], two studies compared experimental groups vs. control groups [30,32], and only one study investigated the experimental group solely [29].…”

“…Of the 11 studies, two employed a comparative cross-sectional design, which compared gamers with control/comparison groups [33,35], and the rest employed a repeat measure design, where the same gamers were assessed at multiple time points [28][29][30][31][32]34,36,37].…”

“…(2) EEG (measured in 3 studies) [28][29][30]; (3) saliva samples collected for cortisol and α-amylase (measured in 5 studies) [28][29][30][31][32]; (4) hair samples for analysis of hair hormones (cortisol, cortisone, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, and corticosterone) (measured in 2 studies) [31,33]; (5) analysis of Kynurenine Pathway Metabolites: TRP, 5-HT, KYN, and KYNA levels in serum samples (measured in 2 studies) [35,38]. Changes in the brain waves: the ratio of the alpha power of the frontal left hemisphere to the frontal right hemisphere was higher in fear game.…”