Video games as stimuli in neuroimaging studies: a minireview

TL;DR

This paper reviews how video games are used in brain studies to understand human perception, cognition, and emotions in realistic scenarios.

Contribution

The paper highlights novel applications of video games in neuroimaging to study complex brain functions in ecologically valid contexts.

Findings

Video games reveal brain structures involved in cooperation and responses to unfairness during economic tasks.

First-person shooter games show differences in brain activity when winning versus losing.

Video games are effective for studying reward processing and the neural basis of flow states.

Abstract

In video games, the participants are active agents who pursue various goals within gaming environments that increasingly resemble real life. As a result, video games are increasingly offering tools for neuroimaging studies aiming to elucidate the neural basis of human perceptual, cognitive, and emotional functions. Here, we review these studies. The first studies used computerized versions of behavioral economic games during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of brain activity, revealing brain structures relevant to mutual cooperation and structures responding when participants received unfair offers. Subsequently, first-person shooter games revealed brain activity differences during winning vs. losing. Video games have also proven useful for studying reward processing, cognitive processes during goal pursuit, and emotional responses within component models emphasizing active agency. Moreover, video games are especially well-suited for research on the neural basis of flow state. We also discuss shortcomings and ways forward in this exciting area of research.