Advertisement

Sleep and Vigilance

, Volume 2, Issue 2, pp 157–165 | Cite as

Non-action Video Game Training Ameliorates Cognitive Decline Associated with Sleep Disturbance

  • Anam AseemEmail author
  • Hina Kauser
  • Mohammed Ejaz Hussain
Original Article
First Online:
  • 109 Downloads

Abstract

Purpose

Sleep disturbance is quite prevalent among students which leads to deleterious consequences on cognitive behavior. Non-action video game training has been shown to improve many aspects of higher order mental functions; therefore, we investigated the effect of same on sleep quality and cognitive functions in sleep-disturbed university students.

Methods

The study was a randomized controlled type where participants (n = 30) were assigned into two groups: control and experimental. The subjects in the experimental group completed 4 weeks of computerized non-action video game training. Pre- and post-training measures were taken for sleep quality using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Cognitive functions were tested using PennCNP, computerized neuropsychological battery. Electrophysiological correlates of cognition were evaluated by P300 event-related potential using auditory oddball paradigm.

Result

We found significant decrease in both PSQI and ESS scores in the experimental group as compared to the control group, indicating improvement in sleep. The scores for reaction time, visual memory, and logical reasoning showed improvement in video game learners as compared to the control group. The P300 data showed a decrease in latency and increase in amplitude with video game training in sleep-disturbed students indicating improvement in cognition. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the increase in cognitive function was associated with gains in sleep quality.

Conclusion

The present study showed that 4 weeks of non-action video game training improved sleep quality and cognitive functions in sleep-disturbed university students.

Keywords

Video game Sleep Cognition P300 PSQI 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of University of Pennsylvania, for giving us the access to use their cognitive test battery, PennCNP. We thank D. J. Buysse and M. W. Johns for giving us the permission to use their copyright questionnaires. Finally, we thank the Neurophysiology Lab, Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences (CPRS), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), India for their ongoing hard work and support.

Author contributions

AA takes full responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, from inception to finished article.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Conflict of interest

No competing financial interests exist.

References

  1. 1.
    Manzar MD, Zannat W, Kaur M, Hussain ME. Sleep in university students across years of university education and gender influences. Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2015;27(3):341–8.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
    Sweileh WM, Ali IA, Sawalha AF, Abu-Taha AS, Sa’ed HZ, Al-Jabi SW. Sleep habits and sleep problems among Palestinian students. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Mental Health. 2011;5(1):25.Google Scholar
  3. 3.
    Gaultney JF. The prevalence of sleep disorders in college students: impact on academic performance. J Am Coll Health. 2010;59(2):91–7.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Harrison Y, Horne JA, Rothwell A. Prefrontal neuropsychological effects of sleep deprivation in young adults—a model for healthy aging? Sleep. 2000;23(8):1067–73.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Babkoff H, Zukerman GI, Fostick L, Ben-Artzi EL. Effect of the diurnal rhythm and 24 h of sleep deprivation on dichotic temporal order judgment. J Sleep Res. 2005;14(1):7–15.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Horne JA. Human sleep, sleep loss and behaviour: implications for the prefrontal cortex and psychiatric disorder. Br J Psychiatry. 1993;162(3):413–9.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Park DC. The basic mechanisms accounting for age-related decline in cognitive function. In: Cognitive aging: a primer, vol. 11(1);2000. p.3–19.Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    Haimov I, Shatil E. Cognitive training improves sleep quality and cognitive function among older adults with insomnia. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(4):61390.Google Scholar
  9. 9.
    Lee HJ, Kim L, Kim YK, Suh KY, Han J, Park MK, Park KW, Lee DH. Auditory event-related potentials and psychological changes during sleep deprivation. Neuropsychobiology. 2004;50(1):1–5.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Twamley EW, Jeste DV, Bellack AS. A review of cognitive training in schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull. 2003;29(2):359–82.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Green CS, Bavelier D. The cognitive neuroscience of video games. In: Digital media: transformations in human communication. 2006. p. 211–23.Google Scholar
  12. 12.
    Ferguson CJ. The good, the bad and the ugly: a meta-analytic review of positive and negative effects of violent video games. Psychiatr Q. 2007;78(4):309–16.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  13. 13.
    Boot WR, Blakely DP, Simons DJ. Do action video games improve perception and cognition? Front Psychol. 2011;2:226.PubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Dye MW, Green CS, Bavelier D. Increasing speed of processing with action video games. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2009;18(6):321–6.PubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  15. 15.
    Anguera JA, Boccanfuso J, Rintoul JL, Al-Hashimi O, Faraji F, Janowich J, Kong E, Larraburo Y, Rolle C, Johnston E, Gazzaley A. Video game training enhances cognitive control in older adults. Nature. 2013;501(7465):97.PubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  16. 16.
    Buysse DJ, Reynolds CF, Monk TH, Berman SR, Kupfer DJ. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Res. 1989;28(2):193–213.PubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  17. 17.
    Johns MW. A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sleep. 1991;14(6):540–5.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    Gur RC, Richard J, Hughett P, Calkins ME, Macy L, Bilker WB, Brensinger C, Gur RE. A cognitive neuroscience-based computerized battery for efficient measurement of individual differences: standardization and initial construct validation. J Neurosci Methods. 2010;187(2):254–62.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  19. 19.
    Rinehart NJ, Bradshaw JL, Brereton AV, Tonge BJ. Movement preparation in high-functioning autism and Asperger disorder: a serial choice reaction time task involving motor reprogramming. J Autism Dev Disord. 2001;31(1):79–88.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  20. 20.
    Magnussen S. Implicit visual working memory. Scand J Psychol. 2009;50(6):535–42.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  21. 21.
    Goel V, Makale M, Grafman J. The hippocampal system mediates logical reasoning about familiar spatial environments. J Cogn Neurosci. 2004;16(4):654–64.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  22. 22.
    Hull J, Harsh J. P300 and sleep-related positive waveforms (P220, P450, and P900) have different determinants. J Sleep Res. 2001;10(1):9–17.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  23. 23.
    Chatterjee A, Ray K, Panjwani U, Thakur L, Anand JP. Meditation as an intervention for cognitive disturbances following total sleep deprivation. Indian J Med Res. 2012;136(6):1031.PubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  24. 24.
    Sternberg DA, Ballard K, Hardy JL, Katz B, Doraiswamy PM, Scanlon M. The largest human cognitive performance dataset reveals insights into the effects of lifestyle factors and aging. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013;20(7):292.Google Scholar
  25. 25.
    Lee HJ, Kim L, Suh KY. Cognitive deterioration and changes of P300 during total sleep deprivation. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2003;57(5):490–6.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  26. 26.
    Fogel SM, Smith CT. Learning-dependent changes in sleep spindles and stage 2 sleep. J Sleep Res. 2006;15(3):250–5.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  27. 27.
    Vertes RP. Memory consolidation in sleep: dream or reality. Neuron. 2004;44(1):135–48.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  28. 28.
    Carney CE, Waters WF. Effects of a structured problem-solving procedure on pre-sleep cognitive arousal in college students with insomnia. Behav Sleep Med. 2006;4(1):13–28.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  29. 29.
    Gais S, Born J. Low acetylcholine during slow-wave sleep is critical for declarative memory consolidation. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2004;101(7):2140–4.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  30. 30.
    Raouafi S, Etindele Sosso FA. Cyberpsychology: video games as a perspective for cognitive training. Ment Health Addict Res. 2017;2(3):1–2.Google Scholar
  31. 31.
    Ballesteros S, Prieto A, Mayas J, Toril P, Pita C, Ponce de León L, Reales JM, Waterworth J. Brain training with non-action video games enhances aspects of cognition in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Front Aging Neurosci. 2014;14(6):277.Google Scholar
  32. 32.
    Basak C, Boot WR, Voss MW, Kramer AF. Can training in a real-time strategy video game attenuate cognitive decline in older adults? Psychol Aging. 2008;23(4):765.PubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  33. 33.
    Boot WR, Kramer AF, Simons DJ, Fabiani M, Gratton G. The effects of video game playing on attention, memory, and executive control. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2008;129(3):387–98.Google Scholar
  34. 34.
    Etindele Sosso FA. Visual dot interaction with short-term memory. Neurodegener Dis Manag. 2017;7(3):183–90.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  35. 35.
    Etindele Sosso FA, Hito M, Bern S. Basic activity of neurons in the dark during somnolence induced by anesthesia. J Neurol Neurosci. 2017.  https://doi.org/10.21767/2171-6625.1000203.Google Scholar
  36. 36.
    Klingberg T, Forssberg H, Westerberg H. Training of working memory in children with ADHD. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2002;24(6):781–91.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  37. 37.
    Duncan J, Owen AM. Common regions of the human frontal lobe recruited by diverse cognitive demands. Trends Neurosci. 2000;23(10):475–83.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  38. 38.
    Mishra J, Zinni M, Bavelier D, Hillyard SA. Neural basis of superior performance of action videogame players in an attention-demanding task. J Neurosci. 2011;31(3):992–8.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  39. 39.
    Maillot P, Perrot A, Hartley A. Effects of interactive physical-activity video-game training on physical and cognitive function in older adults. Psychol Aging. 2012;27(3):589.PubMedGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018

Authors and Affiliations

  • Anam Aseem
    • 1
    Email author
  • Hina Kauser
    • 1
    • 2
  • Mohammed Ejaz Hussain
    • 1
  1. 1.Sleep Research Group, Neurophysiology Lab, Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation SciencesJamia Millia Islamia (Central University)New DelhiIndia
  2. 2.DDU Kaushal KendraJamia Millia Islamia (Central University)New DelhiIndia

Personalised recommendations

Cite article

Buy options