A Brain Imaging Study on the Association Between Chess Expertise and Visual Spatial Working Memory in School-Aged...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Chess skill is associated with cognitive abilities, but its neural underpinnings in children are not fully understood.
• Visual spatial working memory (VSWM) is crucial for chess performance.
• Exploring brain differences between expert and novice child chess players can illuminate cognitive expertise mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the brain imaging correlates of chess skill in school-aged children.
• To compare visual spatial working memory (VSWM) performance and associated brain structures/functions between expert and novice child chess players.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 20 school-aged children (10-15 years) divided into expert (n=9) and novice (n=11) chess players.
• Assessment of VSWM using the N-back task.
• Analysis of brain structure (gray matter volume, cortical thickness) using VBM and SBM.
• Evaluation of resting-state functional imaging (ALFF/fALFF).

Main Results:

• Expert chess players showed superior VSWM accuracy and faster reaction times compared to novices.
• Significant differences in gray matter volume and cortical thickness were found between groups.
• Experts exhibited higher resting-state ALFF/fALFF in the dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, and orbitofrontal cortex.

Conclusions:

• Expert child chess players possess distinct regional brain structural and functional profiles.
• These neural variations are associated with specialized visual spatial processing, not generalized working memory expansion.
• The findings suggest brain signatures linked to varying levels of chess expertise in children.