2. The competition, commonly known as "The International," offered more than $25 million in prizes. Since the game is so well-liked, approximately 6 million people watched the live action on the first day of the five-day event. This begs the question of why gamers brains are so distinctive.
newest laboratory rats
Since eSports have grown so quickly, as we explained in a previous post, the concept of cybersports is now regarded with the same respect as varsity sports like football and basketball. More intriguingly, Neuroscience is discovering that eSports players possess some superhuman mental abilities. These revelations may hold the key to understanding how video games can actually modify the brain and unravelling the mysteries of human performance. This is noteworthy because there are around 2.2 billion players worldwide. In this essay, well discover some neurological facts about the motivations of dedicated gamers.
Higher Attention
It is well acknowledged that playing video games enhances ones motor skills, visual acuity, and attention span. The brain regions in charge of attention and visuospatial ability may change and improve over time as a result of playing video games, according to studies.
Expert action video game players exhibited improved attentional and sensorimotor abilities, according to research published in Nature Scientific Reports. This prompted scientists to use brain scans to study the neurological architecture of competitive gamers.
Researchers looked into the relationship between gaming experience and the plasticity of functional networks linked to certain attentional and sensorimotor systems. They found that experts had more grey matter volume and connectivity in these subregions, and that more gaming experience was linked to much better connections along critical brain circuits.
According to another studies from the University of Utah, this kind of attentional brain network hyperconnectivity may potentially enhance gamers cognitive abilities.
Researchers looked into the relationship between gaming experience and the plasticity of functional networks linked to certain attentional and sensorimotor systems. They found that experts had more grey matter volume and connectivity in these subregions, and that more gaming experience was linked to much better connections along critical brain circuits.
According to another studies from the University of Utah, this kind of attentional brain network hyperconnectivity may potentially enhance gamers cognitive abilities.
Popular competitive eSports game Starcraft 2 largely depends on quick physical and mental reactions. A standardised cognitive reaction test found that one of the top Starcraft 2 players in the world had a maximum active response rate that was almost four times greater than that of average folks.
Getting into the Zone
Professional gamers brains operate differently from amateur players at the truly elite level, according to computed tomography (CT) scans. The frontal lobe and limbic areas, which control memory, analytical cognition, and instinctual behaviour in particular, become active. They are inactive in gamers that play regularly.
This illustrates the need for a quick and sharp mind in a professional player. Top real-time strategy (RTS) gamers routinely execute 300 actions every minute, but what matters most is how each of those moves is influenced by their thinking.
Korean starcraft 2 gamer Polt was the subject of an ESPN special. His brain waves throughout the difficult bouts showed how quickly he switched to new pursuits.
The biggest shock may have been that his mental state mirrored that of elite athletes in a flow state. He would be able to keep his cool under pressure and avoid being distracted if he could mute his conscious thought and reach a state of flow. This video presents an overview.
Nature versus nurture
According to neuroscience, professional gamers brains do some pretty amazing things. It is uncertain to what extent the skills are innate or acquired (nature versus nurture). On the one hand, there are a staggering number of players, and even casual players regularly log 30 hours or more of weekly gameplay. The ability to compete at the level of eSports stars is, however, quite rare. Contrarily, a lot of
However, it is clear that the games genre has a big impact. For instance, studies have shown that 3D video games perform significantly better than 2D games in terms of memory enhancement. Additionally, it has been found using NeuroTracker that 3D plays a significant impact in how different people process dynamic stereo information.
Practicing Transfer
One area of planned study that the NeuroTracker team is excited about is a head-to-head comparison of the impacts of NeuroTracker training with action video gaming. This will examine pre- and post-neuropsychological exams as well as qEEG scans of changes in brain wave activity.
The objective of the study is to pinpoint any discrepancies in how each technique impacts training results. This will evaluate how well any training benefits can improve cognitive capacities in particular. The possibility that doing things other than gaming may sharpen their brains more than playing video games may intrigue professional gamers.