title: Larger right posterior parietal volume in action video game experts: a behavioral and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study.
abstract: Recent studies suggest that action video game players exhibit superior performance in visuospatial cognitive tasks compared with non-game players. However, the neural basis underlying this visuospatial cognitive performance advantage remains largely unknown. The present human behavioral and imaging study compared gray matter volume in action video game experts and non-experts using structural magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry analysis. The results revealed significantly larger gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex in experts compared with non-experts. Furthermore, the larger gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex significantly correlated with individual performance in a visual working memory task in experts. These results suggest that differences in brain structure may be linked to extensive video game play, leading to superior visuospatial cognitive performance in action video game experts.
authors.affiliation: Nagoya Institute of Technology, Aichi, Japan. tanaka.satoshi@nitech.ac.jp
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Hanako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsubomi
authors.forename: Sho K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanakawa
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sadato
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018910:Video Games; D055815:Young Adult