We propose to determine the feasibility of a novel, highly automated instrument to directly measure the effects of computer use on brain function in children. For many juveniles, casual computer use such as that inherent to videogame play can consume a significant portion of their uncommitted waking life. While this can improve some important skills and provide educational opportunities, there is also evidence that intensive use can be associated with social isolation, can promote aggressive behaviors, and can sometimes produce pathological conditions. Given the significant personal and cultural impact of video games and related media, there is growing interest in research on their impact on brain function and behavior. Progress in developing methods for brain monitoring during human-computer interaction in military and industrial environments has led to the development of highly automated, EEG-based methods suitable for measuring neural signals of cognition in adult subjects engaged in complex, computer-mediated work. The current project will assess the feasibility of generalizing this type of technology for use in monitoring brain function in children playing videogames or engaged in other types of common video screen-based activities. In Phase I we propose to determine the scientific and technical feasibility of the proposed system. In particular, leveraging our success in other recent projects, we plan to evaluate key remaining scientific and signal-processing issues related to use of such methods in children, and to design a prototype that would be fully implemented and tested in Phase II. The proposed system would enable cost-effective systematic, large-scale studies of changes in children's brain function during computer-based activities ranging from videogame play to interactions with educational software. The same technology could also be used to monitor brain function during more traditional activities such as reading, to evaluate and refine therapeutic interventions, to aid in the design of compelling and effective educational media, and to enable the development of """"""""closed-loop"""""""" systems designed to train cognitive skills based on real time monitoring of task-related neural activation. ? ?
