Video gamers have an advantage in learning

Neuropsychologists of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum let video gamers compete against non-gamers in a learning competition. During the test, the video gamers performed significantly better and showed an increased brain activity in the brain areas that are relevant for learning. Prof Dr Boris Suchan, Sabrina Schenk and Robert Lech report their findings in the journal Behavioural Brain Research.

The weather prediction task

The research team studied 17 volunteers who -- according to their own statement -- played action-based games on the computer or a console for more than 15 hours a week. The control group consisted of 17 volunteers who didn't play video games on a regular basis. Both teams did the so-called weather prediction task, a well-established test to investigate the learning of probabilities. The researchers simultaneously recorded the brain activity of the participants via magnetic resonance imaging.

The participants were shown a combination of three cue cards with different symbols. They should estimate whether the card combination predicted sun or rain and got a feedback if their choice was right or wrong right away. The volunteers gradually learned, on the basis of the feedback, which card combination stands for which weather prediction. The combinations were thereby linked to higher or lower probabilities for sun and rain. After completing the task, the study participants filled out a questionnaire to sample their acquired knowledge about the cue card combinations.

Video gamers better with high uncertainties

The gamers were notably better in combining the cue cards with the weather predictions than the control group. They fared even better with cue card combinations that had a high uncertainty such as a combination that predicted 60 percent rain and 40 percent sunshine.

The analysis of the questionnaire revealed that the gamers had acquired more knowledge about the meaning of the card combinations than the control group. "Our study shows that gamers are better in analysing a situation quickly, to generate new knowledge and to categorise facts -- especially in situations with high uncertainties," says first author Sabrina Schenk.

This kind of learning is linked to an increased activity in the hippocampus, a brain region that plays a key role in learning and memory. "We think that playing video games trains certain brain regions like the hippocampus," says Schenk. "That is not only important for young people, but also for older people; this is because changes in the hippocampus can lead to a decrease in memory performance. Maybe we can treat that with video games in the future."

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Story Source:

Materials provided by Ruhr-University Bochum. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Sabrina Schenk, Robert K. Lech, Boris Suchan. Games people play: How video games improve probabilistic learning. Behavioural Brain Research, 2017; 335: 208 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.027

To Boost Memory and Brainpower, Ignore Brain Supplements And Harness Brain Plasticity The Right Way

Traditional scientific ideas cast the human brain as a fixed and essentially limited system that only degrades with age. By contrast, we have now come to appreciate that the human brain is actually a highly dynamic and constantly reorganizing system, capable of being shaped and reshaped across the entire lifespan. The central concept in this new approach is brain plasticity, the brain's lifelong capacity to change and rewire itself in response to the stimulation of learning and experience. This includes both the lifelong ability to create new neurons - neurogenesis - and to create new connections between neurons - synaptogenesis.

In a young brain, brain plasticity allows for fast learning, as well as for potentially faster repair. As we age, the rate of brain plasticity declines, but does not come to a halt.

Lifelong neuroplasticity has major consequences. It means that our lifestyles and actions play a meaningful role in how our brains physically change throughout life. More specifically, neuroplasticity gives us the power to resist the effects of decline or disease by supporting our ability to accumulate knowledge and experiences, i.e., to learn. Learning helps to increase the so-called brain reserve and strengthen the brain against age-related decline and potential dementia pathology by increasing the connections between neurons, increasing cellular metabolism, and increasing the production of nerve growth factor, a substance produced by the body to help maintain and repair neurons.

Furthermore, neuroplasticity not only enables us to prevent future cognitive decline but also provides a basis for a more optimistic outlook when it comes to our ability to address existing deficits, such as learning difficulties and recovery after traumatic brain injury or stroke. By practicing a skill, one can repeatedly stimulate the same area of the brain, which strengthens existing neural connections and creates new ones. Over time, the brain can become more efficient, requiring less effort to do the same job.

A key contributor to our growing understanding of large-scale neuroplasticity was the development of high-level brain imaging technologies. By allowing scientists to produce images of the brain that show its structure, as well as where activity spikes as it is engages in various cognitive activities, these neuroimaging methods have revolutionized neuroscience in the same way that the telescope revolutionized astronomy.

Evidence of brain plasticity gleaned from brain imaging has come mostly from the brains of individuals who became experts in a particular skill. Why? Because, as you might have guessed, changes associated with learning occur massively when we become expert in a specific function or domain.

For example, several fascinating studies shows that London taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus than London bus drivers. This is explained by the fact that the hippocampus is important for forming and accessing complex memories, including the spatial memories necessary for efficient navigation. Taxi drivers have to navigate around London whereas bus drivers follow a limited set of routes. Thus, the hippocampus of a taxi driver is particularly stimulated and changes over time as a result.

Plasticity can also be observed in the brains of bilinguals. It looks like learning a second language is directly associated with structural changes in the brain: a region called the left inferior parietal cortex is larger in bilingual brains than in monolingual brains. Plastic changes have also been found to occur in musicians' brains (compared to non-musicians), with areas involved in playing music (motor regions, anterior superior parietal areas, and inferior temporal areas) showing increased volume.

These changes do not require a lifetime to occur; a few years or even months can be enough. For instance, researchers imaged the brains of German medical students three months before their medical exam, and again right after the exam, and then compared the brains of these students to the brains of students who were not studying for the exam at this time. The results: Medical students' brains showed changes in regions of the parietal cortex as well as in the posterior hippocampus. As you can probably guess, these regions are known to be involved in memory and learning.

The large-scale changes observed in these studies were the result of serious effort over time, be it learning the streets of London or studying for a medical exam. It would be nice, of course, if we could all just take a pill to quickly and painlessly increase brain fitness: to suddenly become more attentive, never forget a name, and perform all the mental math we want. However, despite large investments, evidence that "smart" drugs or brain supplements actually work is scarce at the present. The recent extensive NIH meta-analysis found no evidence that any of the medications tracked (namely statins, antihypertensive medications, cholinesterase inhibitors, or estrogen) were successful at improving or maintaining cognitive functioning over time. Some drugs have produced positive effects for people who have neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or Attention Deficit Disorder - when patients take these drugs, their symptoms are usually lessened. However, no solid scientific evidence has shown so far that these drugs are reliably beneficial or safe for people with normal functioning. Even in the supposed scenario that a smart drug or supplement that can "double brainpower" with no side effects is discovered, it would be misguided to believe that the drug alone would be enough. If things worked that way, why do steroid-taking athletes still have to pay attention to their physical exercise regimens?

What is supported by ample evidence is the brain's capacity to be flexible and be molded through experience. The question then becomes: "What activities or behaviors can provide the right kind of experience to help boost memory and brainpower?"

Copyright (c) 2014 SharpBrains

This is an adapted excerpt from the new book "The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: How to Optimize Brain Health and Performance at Any Age." To learn more, and to enjoy free brain teasers for adults and teens to test and improve cognitive ability, visit http://sharpbrains.com/

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Better Time Management - Using A Little Neuroscience

While distractions may be a welcome source of creativity in some lines of work, most of us need periods of focus to be able to do our jobs to the best of our abilities.

In the social media age, where the potential for distraction has never been greater, this presents quite a challenge for professionals and their organisations. How do you switch off the 'noise' and ensure that you are diverting all your brain power to where it's needed - at the right time?

Neuroscience has some interesting insights that may be able to help answer this question.

Is this your typical work day?

Do you start the working day by checking emails and browsing a few web pages as you settle in for the day? Then, do you leave your email and social media channels open all day while trying to focus on the tasks at hand?

Many of us try to multitask, believing that it is possible to prepare that report for the boss, while chatting to a customer on the phone and messaging back to a friend about dinner plans.

In reality, unless we really can do the task on 'autopilot', like brushing teeth for instance, this is more likely to lead to mistakes, omissions, and possibly messed up dinner plans!

Why? Because the human brain is not able to multi-task. Neuroscience has shown that what we think is multitasking is actually 'switching' rapidly between activities. The brain can only focus on one thing at a time, and so when we juggle tasks, we are really asking our brains to switch frequently between activities. This is not only liable to cause errors; it is also energy-sapping for the brain. So, the more we try to juggle, the less 'fuel' our brains have, and the less likely we are to be successful at ANY of the tasks we are trying to complete.

This is why it's so important to prioritise, manage time, and schedule our activities and breaks through the day.

Managing time and taking proper breaks

When we ask our brains to do more as the tasks pile up, what we may really need is a break, to allow our brains to recharge. That overworked people get stressed and 'burnt out' is no surprise, but few people think about the effects on the brain that help to cause this.

Studies from neuroscience have found that people who take 15-minute breaks every two hours are more productive than those who try to plough on. These breaks should not be reading emails or engaging in more social media; they need to involve 'wandering' of the brain... a short walk, listening to music, or chatting with friends about last night's TV shows.

What we find is that social media or emailing tends to 'feed' the tendency towards short attention spans and constant 'brain shifting' from one task to another. Studies show that, with each interruption presented by a new email or a new chat message (for instance), it can take over 20 minutes to return to the task at hand.

When we return, we may be in a stressed state because the brain has still been switching between tasks rapidly, rather than being allowed to wander.

Social media and the 'always on' communication channels present a great challenge to workplace performance because we always have one eye on the things that are most important to us; increasingly these things are available to us through online activity, so the tendency to self-interrupt is high.

Scheduling times to check emails and social media, and being disciplined about sticking to pre-set periods for these activities, are therefore key to preventing distractions from hijacking our performance at work.

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A Neuroscience View of Learning Styles

The term "learning styles" is often associated with academic and educational applications. The traditional definition of "learning styles," however, is a small and incomplete slice of the overall contextual understanding required for successful learning and teaching outcomes. It's no wonder why there is sometimes controversy and confusion about "learning styles."

My organization has been working in the field of practical neuroscience since 1992, building brain-based human development products for academic success, personal development and business applications. The purpose of this article is to expand the definition of "learning styles," so learners and teachers alike can embrace and utilize this essential knowledge. The core principles apply to the totality of life, not just the classroom.

What are "Learning Styles?"

Each person has unique brain pathways preferences to take in and think about sensory information.

1. Sensory Pathways: Visual (seeing), Auditory (listening) and Kinesthetic (hands-on)
2. Cognitive PathWays: Sequential (logical), Global (big picture) and Integrated (cognitively balanced)

A person's "learning style" is frequently described as their strongest or primary sensory pathway to learn (e.g. being "kinesthetic"). This is a very limited and incomplete way of viewing "learning styles." The sequence of sensory preferences is important because it takes two or more sensory pathways to lock in received information. As examples, some people need to "see it and hear it," others may want to "do it and see it," and some may prefer to "hear it and do it."

The various sensory sequences are: KVA, KAV, VKA, VAK, AKV and AVK. (K = Kinesthetic,V = Visual, A = Auditory) The lowest sensory score is what you pay least attention to and is called a "blind spot." Most students are KVA and VKA. Think about the learning challenges of these students, who least prefer listening to the meaning of words, when trying to learn in a lecture setting, with a minimum of visual material and things to do.

The other half of the "learning styles" equation is how you prefer to process or think about sensory information. Some people favor learning and working in predictable, logical, orderly, and process-driven environments. Others require open-ended situations, moving from task to task, and using their imagination to learn and work optimally. The cognitive differences between Sequential and Global thinkers are often overlooked in both the classroom and workplace. It's frequently the defining factor in achieving successful academic and career outcomes.

An expanded neuroscience definition of "learning styles" is a person's sensory sequence to take in information and their cognitive preferences to process it. The combination of sensory and cognitive pathways is our representational system for life. It gives us the ability to learn, express, perform, think, solve problems and make decisions.

Who Should Know About "Learning Styles?"

The first and most important person to possess "learning style" knowledge is the "learner." That's why putting this information and data in the hands of teachers, alone, provides limited and sometimes disappointing outcomes.

Learning goes well beyond the classroom, self-study or online courses. Our brains are continually receiving sensory information, making choices, reaching conclusions, solving problems, and expressing. These processes constitute the flow and fabric of our lives. Therefore, everyone can benefit from knowing how their brains are wired and what makes them tick.

Reasons to share your "learning styles" information with others (e.g. teachers, spouse, co-workers and friends) include improving communications so they can transmit on your "wavelength." It's also helpful, in the workplace, to align work activities with brain strengths. Alignment improves morale, engagement and productivity.

What is the Role of Teachers?

I believe successful teachers are continuous learners, who are passionate about their careers. They learn from their students and exchange "best practices" with other teachers. Teachers know that students learn for their own reasons, not those of the teacher. Great teachers encourage their students to discover how their brains prefer to learn and think. They coach them to take responsibility for their own learning and leverage their brain strengths. Successful teachers establish safe and non-judgmental environments. They provide learning resources and encourage their students to teach one another; the highest form of learning is teaching.

Summary

The neuroscience meaning of "learning styles" is the foundation for accelerated learning, successful careers, better relationships and personal growth. Knowing how your brain prefers to learn and think is the key to a better and less stressful life. Everyone interested in improving their quality-of-life will benefit from this important knowledge.

Stephen Hager is a lifelong learner, scientist, author, speaker and teacher. Along with Deanna Phelps, he is the co-creator of brain-based human development products. Their goal is to help people live better and more peaceful lives through the "power within." Since 1992, Deanna and Stephen have been developing practical neuroscience solutions for better communications, clearer thinking, faster learning, higher productivity, stress management and creative problem solving. 

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