Action Video Game Playing Is Reflected In Enhanced Visuomotor Performance and Increased Corticospinal Excitability

PLoS One. 2016 Dec 22;11(12):e0169013. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169013. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Action video game playing is associated with improved visuomotor performance; however, the underlying neural mechanisms associated with this increased performance are not well understood. Using the Serial Reaction Time Task in conjunction with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, we investigated if improved visuomotor performance displayed in action video game players (actionVGPs) was associated with increased corticospinal plasticity in primary motor cortex (M1) compared to non-video game players (nonVGPs). Further, we assessed if actionVGPs and nonVGPs displayed differences in procedural motor learning as measured by the SRTT. We found that at the behavioral level, both the actionVGPs and nonVGPs showed evidence of procedural learning with no significant difference between groups. However, the actionVGPs displayed higher visuomotor performance as evidenced by faster reaction times in the SRTT. This observed enhancement in visuomotor performance amongst actionVGPs was associated with increased corticospinal plasticity in M1, as measured by corticospinal excitability changes pre- and post- SRTT and corticospinal excitability at rest before motor practice. Our results show that aVGPs, who are known to have better performance on visual and motor tasks, also display increased corticospinal excitability after completing a novel visuomotor task.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Evoked Potentials, Motor / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Motor Cortex / physiology
  • Neuronal Plasticity*
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
  • Pyramidal Tracts / physiology
  • Reaction Time
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
  • Video Games*

Grants and funding

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000038) Canada Graduate Scholarship to Olivier Morin-Moncet; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000038) 436140-2013 to Prof. Greg West; Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Nature et Technologies (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003151) 181515 to Prof. Greg West.