Neural modulation in action video game players during inhibitory control function: An EEG study using discrete wavelet transform. (August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hazarika, Jupitara; Kant, Piyush; Dasgupta, Rajdeep; Laskar, Shahedul Haque
• Is Part Of: Biomedical signal processing and control. Volume 45(2018)
• Page Start: 144
• Page End: 150
• Publication Date: 2018-08
• Subjects: Action video game (AVG) -- Attention inhibition -- Electroencephalogram (EEG) -- Discrete wavelet transform (DWT) -- Support vector machine (SVM); Signal processing -- Periodicals; Biomedical engineering -- Periodicals; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted -- Periodicals; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted -- Periodicals; Biomedical Engineering -- Periodicals; 610.28
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2018.05.023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1746-8094

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Abstract: The ability to attend relevant visual information, suppressing or inhibiting irrelevant information present in the visual field is a vital feature of human plasticity. To examine how long-term involvement in action video games modulates the neural processes of the inhibitory control mechanism is the aim of this study. The experiment involves quantitative analysis of brain signals of Action video game players (AVGPs) and non-AVGPs on an attention inhibition task, named Bivalent shape task (BST). Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) based features are collected from task-induced electroencephalogram (EEG) signals of thirty-five participants. Improved wavelet energy and entropy measures of alpha frequency band are observed indicating better inhibitory control with lesser irregularity in AVGPs. An average classification accuracy of 93.05% and 96.89% are obtained by considering all the EEG features of alpha, beta and gamma sub-frequency bands, with linear and non-linear SVMs respectively. These findings suggest that training on action video games voluntarily enhances neural control mechanism of interference suppression and the neural activity in the alpha frequency band can be a signature of active inhibitory control. The gaming environment of action video games might stimulate the same kind of inhibitory control mechanism as used in this particular task can also be inferred.