Action video game experience is associated with increased resting state functional connectivity in the caudate nucleus and decreased functional connectivity in the hippocampus

Abstract

Habitual action video game experience is associated with both increased grey matter and activity in the striatum and decreased grey matter in the hippocampus. To further investigate this relationship, we tested differences in resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) between action video games players (actionVGPs) compared to non-video game players (NVGPs) using the hippocampus, the caudate nucleus and the nucleus accumbens as regions of interest. Seventeen actionVGPs and 16 NVGPs were scanned using fMRI to measure rsFC. Results show that when compared to NVGPs, actionVGPs have increased rsFC between the nucleus accumbens and the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and between the caudate nucleus and the precentral gyrus. ActionVGPs also displayed decreased rsFC between the hippocampus and the superior temporal gyrus and between the nucleus accumbens and the ventral tegmental area. Together, these results follow previous research examining changes in grey matter and suggest that frequent action video game playing is associated with higher functional activity in the reward circuit and lower functional activity within the hippocampus.