Electronic-Sports Experience Related to Functional Enhancement in Central Executive and Default Mode Areas

Electronic-sports (e-sports) is a form of organized, online, multiplayer video game competition, which requires both action skills and the ability and process of forming and adapting a strategy (referred to as strategization hereafter) to achieve goals. Over the past few decades, research has shown...

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Main Authors: Diankun Gong, Weiyi Ma, Tiejun Liu, Yuening Yan, Dezhong Yao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/1940123
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author Diankun Gong
Weiyi Ma
Tiejun Liu
Yuening Yan
Dezhong Yao
author_facet Diankun Gong
Weiyi Ma
Tiejun Liu
Yuening Yan
Dezhong Yao
author_sort Diankun Gong
collection DOAJ
description Electronic-sports (e-sports) is a form of organized, online, multiplayer video game competition, which requires both action skills and the ability and process of forming and adapting a strategy (referred to as strategization hereafter) to achieve goals. Over the past few decades, research has shown that video gaming experience has an important impact on the plasticity of the sensorimotor, attentional, and executive brain areas. However, little research has examined the relationship between e-sports experience and the plasticity of brain networks that are related to strategization. Using resting-state fMRI data and the local functional connectivity density (lFCD) analysis, this study investigated the relationship between e-sports experience (League of Legends [LOL] in this study) and brain plasticity by comparing between top-ranking LOL players and lower-ranking (yet experienced) LOL players. Results showed that the top-ranking LOL players had superior local functional integration in the executive areas compared to lower-ranking players. Furthermore, the top-ranking players had higher lFCD in the default mode areas, which have been found related to various subprocesses (e.g., memory and planning) essential for strategization. Finally, the top-ranking players’ lFCD was related to their LOL expertise rank level, as indicated by a comprehensive score assigned by the gaming software based on players’ gaming experience and expertise. Thus, the result showed that the local functional connectivity in central executive and default mode brain areas was enhanced in the top-ranking e-sports players, suggesting that e-sports experience is related to the plasticity of the central executive and default mode areas.
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spelling doaj-art-b4e0e6206f84461fa72070729f596aa92025-08-20T02:23:31ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432019-01-01201910.1155/2019/19401231940123Electronic-Sports Experience Related to Functional Enhancement in Central Executive and Default Mode AreasDiankun Gong0Weiyi Ma1Tiejun Liu2Yuening Yan3Dezhong Yao4The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701, USAThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaElectronic-sports (e-sports) is a form of organized, online, multiplayer video game competition, which requires both action skills and the ability and process of forming and adapting a strategy (referred to as strategization hereafter) to achieve goals. Over the past few decades, research has shown that video gaming experience has an important impact on the plasticity of the sensorimotor, attentional, and executive brain areas. However, little research has examined the relationship between e-sports experience and the plasticity of brain networks that are related to strategization. Using resting-state fMRI data and the local functional connectivity density (lFCD) analysis, this study investigated the relationship between e-sports experience (League of Legends [LOL] in this study) and brain plasticity by comparing between top-ranking LOL players and lower-ranking (yet experienced) LOL players. Results showed that the top-ranking LOL players had superior local functional integration in the executive areas compared to lower-ranking players. Furthermore, the top-ranking players had higher lFCD in the default mode areas, which have been found related to various subprocesses (e.g., memory and planning) essential for strategization. Finally, the top-ranking players’ lFCD was related to their LOL expertise rank level, as indicated by a comprehensive score assigned by the gaming software based on players’ gaming experience and expertise. Thus, the result showed that the local functional connectivity in central executive and default mode brain areas was enhanced in the top-ranking e-sports players, suggesting that e-sports experience is related to the plasticity of the central executive and default mode areas.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/1940123
spellingShingle Diankun Gong
Weiyi Ma
Tiejun Liu
Yuening Yan
Dezhong Yao
Electronic-Sports Experience Related to Functional Enhancement in Central Executive and Default Mode Areas
Neural Plasticity
title Electronic-Sports Experience Related to Functional Enhancement in Central Executive and Default Mode Areas
title_full Electronic-Sports Experience Related to Functional Enhancement in Central Executive and Default Mode Areas
title_fullStr Electronic-Sports Experience Related to Functional Enhancement in Central Executive and Default Mode Areas
title_full_unstemmed Electronic-Sports Experience Related to Functional Enhancement in Central Executive and Default Mode Areas
title_short Electronic-Sports Experience Related to Functional Enhancement in Central Executive and Default Mode Areas
title_sort electronic sports experience related to functional enhancement in central executive and default mode areas
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/1940123
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