http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028393214002395
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Check access- DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.07.019
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Highlights
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- Reduced grey matter volume in the occipito-temporal junction in chess players.
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- Reduced cortical thickness in the occipito-temporal junction in chess players.
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- Negative correlation between caudate nucleus volume and years of chess experience.
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- Increased mean diffusivity in the superior longitudinal fasciculus in chess players.
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- Negative correlation between mean diffusivity of the SLF and the Elo score.
Abstract
The
game of chess can be seen as a typical example for an expertise task
requiring domain-specific training and experience. Despite intensive
behavioural studies the neural underpinnings of chess performance and
expertise are not entirely understood. A few functional neuroimaging
studies have shown that expert chess players recruit different
psychological functions and activate different brain areas while they
are engaged in chess-related activities. Based on this functional
literature, we predicted to find morphological differences in a network
comprised by parietal and frontal areas and especially the
occipito-temporal junction (OTJ), fusiform gyrus, and caudate nucleus.
Twenty expert chess players and 20 control subjects were investigated
using voxel-based and surface-based morphometry as well as diffusion
tensor imaging. Grey matter volume and cortical thickness were reduced
in chess players compared with those of control men in the OTJ and
precunei. The volumes of both caudate nuclei were not different between
groups, but correlated inversely with the years of chess playing
experience. Mean diffusivity was increased in chess players compared
with that of controls in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus and
the Elo score (a chess tournament ranking) was inversely related to mean
diffusivity within the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. To the
best of our knowledge we showed for the first time that there are
specific differences in grey and white matter morphology between chess
players and control subjects in brain regions associated with cognitive
functions important for playing chess. Whether these anatomical
alterations are the cause or consequence of the intensive and long-term
chess training and practice remains to be shown in future studies.
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