EEG Rhythms In Action Video Game Players With Different Game Levels

Action video game?AVG?has increasingly become a prominent component of lifestyles.In the complex and realistic game environment,AVG players need to memorize many kinds of information resources and accurately response to the fast-moving targets and fast-changing environment.Recently,as a natural paradigm stimulus,many studies have shown that action video games have impact on player's cognitive functions such as attention and working memory,which are related to brain activity rhythm.However,these pervious studies almost focus on the effects of AVG experience or training on the brain using resting-state or classical experimental paradigm task,and little is known about the potential effects of AVG on brain functions during naturalistic lifestyle activities such as AVG playing.Therefore,in this work,EEG data of 310 subjects during resting-state and AVG playing were collected first.Next,combing with machine learning and statistical analysis,a new method was developed to assess the potential effects of action video game on brain function such as attention;furthermore,the interaction effects of AVG game levels and trait anxiety on brain functions measured via EEG rhythm were investigated and discussed.The main work included was as follow:Traditional EEG rhythm analysis is based on the average of power strength across in temporal segments,which may be difficult to continuously assess the accurately describe effects of a series of AVG levels on brain function.Therefore,based on machine learning,we proposed a new EEG rhythm ratio analysis method.The results of one-way ANOVA depicted that there were significant differences among different game level groups?p=2.11×10-12,F=17.40?,and proportion value of beta feature indices was increasing with the increase of game level.Furthermore,there was a significant correlation between game score and beta proportion value?p=0.00097,R=0.22?.There findings implied that the potential effects of action video game on brain function such as attention could be assessed by the proposed method,and it might provide a new sight to improve our understanding of brain plasticity related to AVGs.Anxiety is an adaptive emotion and may exert its wide influence on brain functions.However,little is known about the potential effects of trait anxiety on brain functions during naturalistic lifestyle activities such as AVG game playing.Results showed that gamma?resting state and game play state?and beta?game play state?relative powers of high-level AVG players were greater than those of low-level players in the high-Trait Anxiety Inventory?TAI?score group?p<0.05?;and game performance scores were positively correlated with gamma1(p=0.00079,R_peak=0.37)and gamma2(p=0.00080,R_peak=0.37)relative powers.These findings indicated that brain functions may be influenced by interactions of the AVG experience and trait anxiety levels,and provided new insights into the potential mechanisms that AVG with trait anxiety may enhance functions of attention and working memory,which was likely to be driven by an increased motivation to do well during AVG playing.