Table 1 Examples of recent studies using traditional board games
Authors (years) | Countries | Study design | Subjects or materials | Outcomes or variables | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chess: | |||||
Fuentes JP et al. (2018) [10] | Spain | Experimental, single case | Expert chess player, male, 33 years old | EEG changes, decreased heart rate variability | Increased cortical arousal by critical flicker fusion threshold, decreased heart rate variability during chess play |
Barzegar K & Barzegar S (2017) [11] | Iran | Clinical case | Middle-aged man with panic attack after post-traumatic stress | Clinical course, including subjective physical symptoms | No symptom of nausea, vomiting, or panic attack after cell-phone chess play |
Schaigorodsky AL et al. (2016) [12] | Argentina | Database | 1.4 million chess games played by humans | Long-range correlations, inter-event time distributions | Cattuto’s model well described long-range memory used in opening chess lines |
Chassy P & Gobet F (2015) [13] | UK | Database | 667,599 chess games played by experts from 11 civilizations | Conflict avoidance, risk-taking behaviors during open aggression | Buddhist experts used riskiest strategy nearly 35% more vs. Jewish experts |
Sheridan H & Reingold EM (2014) [14] | Canada | Experimental | 41 chess players (17 experts, 24 novices) | Eye movements in 8 chess problems | Only experts distinguished relevant and irrelevant information during early trial |
Moxley JH & Charness N (2013) [15] | USA | Meta-analysis | 4 studies of age and skill effects in chess | Age, chess skill, move selection, chess recall | Best-move, recall tasks associated negatively with aging, positively with skill |
Leone MJ et al. (2012) [16] | Argentina | Experimental | 25 chess games played by 9 subjects | Heart rate variation | Heart rate signals relevant cognitive episodes, e.g., objective choice correctness events |
Go: | |||||
Barradas-Bautista D et al. (2018) [17] | Mexico | Computer simulation | Ising Hamiltonian model of black, white Go stones fighting | Two-player scenarios, cancer vs. immune system | Go, Ising model provided elements for characterization of cancer invasion, reduction, metastasis |
Bae J et al. (2017) [18] | Republic of Korea | Questionnaire survey | 63 subjects predicting outcome of AlpaGo vs. Sedol Lee match | Network density, game predictions | Game predictions more accurate in low-density vs. high-density group |
Silver D et al. (2016) [19] | UK | AI Go program | Search algorithm of Monte Carlo simulation and networks | Go win rate | AlphaGo had 99.8% win rate against other Go programs, defeated human Go champion |
Lin Q et al. (2015) [20] | China | RCT | 147 patients with Alzheimer’s disease | Cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, serum BDNF level | Go ameliorated Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, with BDNF up-regulation |
Kim SH et al. (2014) [21] | Republic of Korea | Case-control study | 17 children with ADHD, 17 age-, sex-matched controls | Cognitive function, brain EEG changes during Go play–based education | Right theta/beta change in prefrontal cortex during study period greater in ADHD group |
Jung WH et al. (2013) [22] | Republic of Korea | Experimental | 17 Go experts | Structural, functional MRI during working memory tasks | Experts had increased gray-matter volume, functional connectivity around amygdala |
Lee MK et al. (2012) [23] | Republic of Korea | Clinical case | 11 patients with reflex epilepsy, including 6 male Go players | MRI, EEG with clinical course | Individualized strategies like game avoidance most effectively prevented seizures |
Shogi: | |||||
Tanaka K (2018) [24] | Japan | Review | fMRI changes in game situations | Cingulate cortex essential for intuitive, strategic decision making for any given Shogi board position | |
Nakao M et al. (2017) [25] | Japan | Protocol, RCT | 65 men aged ≥65 years | Cognitive-behavioral attitudes, depression, anxiety, well-being | Depression, anxiety levels lower during 6-week Shogi stress management program |
Wan X et al. (2016) [26] | China | Experimental | 17 professional, 17 amateur Shogi players, 19 novices | fMRI signals during problem-solving tasks | In professional group, rostral frontal cortex activated only in post-decision period |
Wan X et al. (2015) [27] | China | Experimental | 17 amateur Shogi players | fMRI signals during quick offense-vs.-defense strategy decisions | Rostral anterior, posterior cingulate cortices encoded defense, attack strategy values |
Nakanishi H & Yamaguchi Y (2014) [28] | Japan | Experimental | 12 professional, 12 amateur Shogi players, 12 novices | EEG responses in quick understanding of Shogi game patterns | Frontal area responded only to meaningful game positions, in contrast to temporal area |
Aoyagi M & Ogawa T (2013) [29] | Japan | Clinical case | Man with Alzheimer’s disease aged 75–79 years | Frequent chewing for aspiration pneumonia prevention | Shogi play encouragement useful for education about frequent, smooth chewing during eating |
Wan X et al. (2012) [30] | Japan | Experimental | 20 men aged 20–22 years with little Shogi knowledge | fMRI changes during Shogi training period | Activation in caudate nucleus head developed over training course |
Others: | |||||
Duan X et al. (2014) [31] | China | Experimental | 20 expert Chinese-chess players, 20 novices | Functional connectivity networks assessed by fMRI | Increased connectivity between basal ganglia, thalamus, hippocampus and parietal, temporal areas in experts |
Panphunpho S et al. (2013) [32] | Thailand | RCT | 20 elderly Ska players, 20 elderly controls | Cognitive function (memory, attention, executive function) | 16-week Ska group joiners had significantly better cognitive function scores |
van den Dries S & Wiering MA (2012) [33] | The Netherlands | Computer algorithms of learning to play Othello | Combination of three structured neural network techniques | Evaluation functions (simple linear networks, multilayered perceptions) | Method outperforms linear networks, fully connected neural networks or evaluation functions evolved with algorithms |