Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China.
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China.
Brain Behav. 2024 Apr;14(4):e3488. doi: 10.1002/brb3.3488.
Chunk memory is one of the essential cognitive functions for high-expertise (HE) player to make efficient decisions. However, it remains unknown how the neural mechanisms of chunk memory processes mediate or alter chess players' performance when facing different opponents.
This study aimed at inspecting the significant brain networks associated with chunk memory, which would vary between club players and novices.
Functional networks and topological features of 20 club players (HE) and 20 novice players (LE) were compared at different levels of difficulty by means of functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
Behavioral performance indicated that the club player group was unaffected by differences in difficulty. Furthermore, the club player group demonstrated functional connectivity among the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the frontopolar cortex, the supramarginal gyrus, and the subcentral gyrus, as well as higher clustering coefficients and lower path lengths in the high-difficulty task.
The club player group illustrated significant frontal-parietal functional connectivity patterns and topological characteristics, suggesting enhanced chunking processes for improved chess performance.
块记忆是高技能（HE）玩家做出有效决策的基本认知功能之一。然而，当面对不同的对手时，块记忆过程的神经机制如何影响或改变棋手的表现仍不清楚。
本研究旨在检查与块记忆相关的重要大脑网络，这些网络在俱乐部玩家和新手玩家之间会有所不同。
通过功能近红外光谱，比较了 20 名俱乐部玩家（HE）和 20 名新手玩家（LE）在不同难度水平下的功能网络和拓扑特征。
行为表现表明，俱乐部球员组不受难度差异的影响。此外，俱乐部球员组在前外侧前额叶皮层、额极皮层、缘上回和中央下回之间表现出功能连接，并且在高难度任务中表现出更高的聚类系数和更低的路径长度。
俱乐部球员组表现出显著的额顶叶功能连接模式和拓扑特征，表明提高了下棋表现的块处理过程。
