Characterizing a highly excited and sustained brain response activity during gaming: P300-CE

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Pei, Leisi; Green, C. Shawn; Ouyang, Guang
• 署名单位: University of Hong Kong; University of Wisconsin System; University of Wisconsin Madison
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-9866
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2502135122
• 发表日期: 2025-07-21
• 关键词: variability; adaptation; mechanisms; dopamine

摘要

Inspired by the high engagement and sustained behavioral excitement observed in video game players, we hypothesized that distinct brain activity patterns occur during gaming compared to a generic nongame setting. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we characterized the brain's response to critical in- game events, focusing on the response magnitude and adaptation. Data from a large participant cohort (n = 140 for game tasks, n = 200 for nongame tasks) revealed a clear, definite, and consistent temporospatial structure of brain response patterns triggered by critical in- game events. Most notably, this response displayed unusually large magnitudes and a lack of adaptation over repeated exposures-markedly different from the observed neural responses to typical events in lab- based tasks (e.g., regarding novelty, unexpected events or errors). The identification of this distinctive response component in gaming contexts may inspire further research into fundamental cognitive systems, such as motivation, reward, emotional engagement, and their dynamic interplay in gaming environments.