Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Online Gamers
Published on: November 9, 2019
Comparison of brain activation in response to two dimensional and three dimensional on-line games
Woo Hyun Song1, Doug Hyun Han, Hyung Jin Shim
1Department of Psychiatry, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Objective:
The present study assessed the difference in the brain activity of professional gamers (excessive players, but not addicts) in response to playing a 3-dimensional online game with an improved interface.
Methods:
Twenty-three StarCraft I pro gamers and 16 StarCraft II pro gamers were recruited at Chung Ang University Medical Center. Brain activity in response to StarCraft I or II cues was assessed with a 1.5 Tesla Espree MRI scanner.
Results:
StarCraft I pro gamers showed significantly greater activity in 4 clusters in response to the video game cues compared to StarCraft II pro gamers: right superior frontal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus, right occipital lobe, and left medial frontal gyrus. StarCraft II pro gamers showed significantly greater activity in 3 clusters in response to the video game cues compared to StarCraft I pro gamers: left middle frontal gyrus, left temporal fusiform gyrus and left cerebellum.
Discussion:
This is the first study to show the difference in brain activity between gamers playing either a 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional online game. Current brain imaging studies may confirm the pro gamers' experience when playing StarCraft II, a 3-dimensional game with an improved interface, relative to playing StarCraft I.
