Abstract
Goal-directed spatial decision making video games combine spatial mapping, memory, and reward; all of which can involve hippocampal excitation through suppression of an inhibitory neurotransmitter, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). In this study, GABA was measured before and after 30 min of video game play within a voxel around the hippocampus. It was predicted that all participants would experience a decrease in GABA during gaming as a result of in-game rewards; and, those who were most competitive with the goal-directed spatial decision making game would display lower hippocampal GABA concentrations after gaming. Those who were not competitive, because they were too skilled or not skilled enough, would demonstrate higher hippocampal GABA concentrations after gaming. While there were no significant differences in hippocampal GABA before and after gaming for gamers and non-gamers alike, there was a significant quadratic regression between performance on a spatial working memory task and post-gaming hippocampal GABA concentrations.
Highlights
The hippocampus is the region of the brain responsible for forming declarative and spatial memory
We explore the relationship between hippocampal GABA, spatial memory performance, and video gameplay with the hope that it might reveal information for how video games alter hippocampal GABA concentrations
Additional two-tailed independent samples t-tests demonstrated that familiarity with Sonic Adventure 2 was not a significant predictor of GABA before t(35) = 1.07, p = 0.098, or after gaming t(35) = 1.89, p = 0.067
Summary
The hippocampus is the region of the brain responsible for forming declarative (facts, associations) and spatial memory (locations; see Squire et al, 1993). Both processes are positively associated with hippocampal volume (Petersen et al, 2000; Nedelska et al, 2012, respectively). GABA suppression caused by anticipatory reward facilitates hippocampal activation to promote spatial learning (Moser and Moser, 1998; Li et al, 2003) and declarative memory (Adcock et al, 2006; de Lima et al, 2006; Ostrovskaya et al, 2014). Overproduction of GABA in the hippocampus has been associated with memory
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