ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH31
Introduction The rapid growth of eSports participation is well established; however, increasing attention is being directed toward the expanding phenomenon of spectatorship. While eSports performance requires prolonged perceptual–cognitive processing and emotional engagement, the psychophysiological demands of active gameplay compared with passive viewing remain poorly quantified. This study compared acute cognitive, psychophysiological, and perceived workload responses following two hours of competitive first-person shooter gameplay (Valorant) versus passive spectating. Methods Fourteen amateur esports players completed two experimental sessions (Play vs Watch) in a randomized crossover design. Before and after each session, participants performed a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) and a game-specific shooting accuracy test, and completed measures of perceived fatigue (ROF), mood (BRUMS), and boredom (MSBS). Perceived workload (NASA-TLX) was assessed post-session only. Heart rate (HR) was recorded before, during, and after each condition. Results Subjective fatigue increased significantly in both conditions (p < 0.001). PVT analysis revealed a greater number of lapses in Watch compared with Play (p = 0.029). Total mood disturbance increased in both conditions (p < 0.001), while tension was higher during Play (p = 0.048). A time × condition interaction emerged for anger, which increased only after Play (p = 0.021), with significant post-condition differences (p = 0.029). Boredom increased in both conditions (p = 0.009). Perceived workload was substantially higher during Play, particularly for mental demand (p < 0.001), performance (p = 0.007), and frustration (p < 0.001). HR responses showed a significant time × condition interaction (p = 0.039): HR remained stable during Play but decreased during Watch. Discussion As expected, active gameplay was more demanding than passive spectating. This effect was indicated by both higher perceived workload during Play compared to Watch and HR. The latter remained stable during gameplay but decreased during spectating, indicating higher cardiovascular activation in the active condition. Emotional responses further differentiated the conditions, with higher levels of frustration, tension, and anger observed during Play, likely reflecting competitive pressure. Contrary to expectations, perceived fatigue increased similarly in both conditions. This may be explained by the concurrent rise in boredom, suggesting that fatigue was at least in part driven by reduced engagement rather than workload alone. In particular, the intermittent structure of the game—characterized by passive observation following early elimination—likely introduced prolonged periods of monotony even during active play. Overall, while gameplay imposes greater psychophysiological demands, boredom-related processes appear to play a key role in the fatigue responses.
Read CV Ruotian PanECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH31
Introduction Working memory contributes to successful decision-making and goal-oriented thinking, a factor that is essential for flawless human performance as required in an operational setting. Military service is often characterized by sleep deprivation and physiological and psychological stress, which could further impede the optimal functioning of cognitive performance. It is therefore essential to identify factors that contribute to promoting working memory performance. Previous studies have found that high physical fitness is associated with better working memory performance (Oberlin et al., 2016). However, few studies have examined this link in young, healthy adults, particularly in a military setting. We therefore aimed to investigate the association of physical fitness with both behavioral and neurocognitive indices of working memory in recruits of the Swiss Armed Forces. Methods Our sample comprised 134 male recruits of an Infantry school with a mean age of 19.8 years. Physical fitness was assessed using the Swiss Army's official fitness test and conducted during basic military training, including a shuttle run and two strength tests (Wyss et al., 2019). Additionally, participants completed a computerized spatial N-back task. Electroencephalography was used to record event-related potentials (i.e., N2 and P3) evoked by this task. Results Aerobic endurance correlated positively with working memory accuracy (r = 0.27, p = 0.003). In contrast, performance on the two strength tests was not directly linked to working memory performance (r = -0.03, p = 0.73; r = -0.004, p = 0.97). Regarding neurocognitive indices, P3 latency was negatively correlated to the trunk muscle strength test (r = 0.21, p = 0.02). However, path analyses revealed no significant mediation of the association between working memory accuracy and performance on the shuttle run by P3 or N2. Discussion Recruits with higher aerobic endurance are also characterized by better working memory abilities, which are likely to contribute to informed decision making. These findings could have practical implications for military education and training. However, the underlying physiological mechanism of this association needs further investigation. References Oberlin, L. E., Verstynen, T. D., Burzynska, A. Z., Voss, M. W., Prakash, R. S., Chaddock-Heyman, L., Wong, C., Fanning, J., Awick, E., Gothe, N., Phillips, S. M., Mailey, E., Ehlers, D., Olson, E., Wojcicki, T., McAuley, E., Kramer, A. F., & Erickson, K. I. (2016). White matter microstructure mediates the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and spatial working memory in older adults. NeuroImage, 131, 91–101. Wyss, T., Roos, L., Studer, F., Mäder, U., Beuchat, C., & Staub, K. (2019). Development of physical fitness performance in young Swiss men from 2006 to 2015. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 29(4), 586–596.
Read CV Anouk GlättliECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH31
Introduction Critical Flicker Fusion Frequency (cFFF), the threshold at which a blinking LED light is seen as constant, is discussed as a diagnostic for cognitive function in clinical and extreme environments1. Rapid cognitive assessment can be vital for health and safety monitoring in environments like diving and mountain climbing or in contact sports where it is necessary to protect players and decide readiness to play following head impact2. Clinical research showed promising results for various cognitive domains, however, specific cognitive functions, such as core executive functions (EFs) and higher-order processes, which are highly relevant in sport contexts, remain insufficiently characterised. Therefore, our study aimed to assess the relationship between EFs and cFFF performance on Flanker, 2-Back, and Tower-of-London tasks. Methods cFFF performance was assessed in 44 healthy participants (female = 23; Age = 24.6±3.8) in a counterbalanced design. Vagally-mediated heart-rate variability (vmHRV), indexed by RMSSD, served as a control variable, as vmHRV has been associated to cognitive performance3,4. HRV was recorded using an ECG device (Bittium Faros). Repeated-measures ANOVA was calculated for pre & post cFFF differences and linear regression modelling for cognitive performance on the factors reaction time, accuracy, time-to-completion and number of necessary moves. Results cFFF values decreased significantly after cognitive tests for the Flanker task (p= <.0001). Post cFFF on the other tests was always lower but was not statistically significant. No correlation was observed between cFFF and the parameters of cognitive performance for the Flanker task (p = .11, r2 = .06), the 2-back task (p = .32, r2 = .023), and the Tower-of-London task (p = .15, r2 = .048). Similarly, vmHRV showed no significant result for the prediction of cognitive performance for the Flanker- (p = .59, r2 = .025), the 2-Back- (p = .63, r2 = .022), and the Tower-of-London tasks (p = .07, r2 = .164). Discussion Our findings suggest no direct correlation between cFFF and specific cognitive functions. Thus, cFFF might be more relevant as an indicator for global brain states, where cFFF represents general neural functioning and task-readiness. Reduction in cFFF performance over time likely reflect attention detriments or cognitive processing changes. Hence, long-term baseline measurements may still allow cFFF implementation based on individual response behaviour and coping in underwater, altitude or brain injury contexts. Further research is required on the interaction of the cFFF diagnostic tool with arousal, cognition, and vmHRV to improve understanding of the interaction of those variables as well as the intra-individual performance variability from stress or fatigue. ¹Mankowska et. Al (2021).DOI:10.3390/medicina57101096 ²Fong et. Al (2021).DOI:10.3791/62082 3 Mosely & Laborde (2022).DOI:10.1080/1750984X.2022.2092884 4 Thayer et. Al (2009). 10.1007/s12160-009-9101-z
Read CV Dominik von HertleinECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH31