Event-Related Potentials in Problematic Online Gamers based on Cognitive Responses to Game-Related Stimuli

This study aims to analyze the Event-Related Potential (ERP) P300 response in problematic online gamers using electroencephalography (EEG). Five participants, all active online gamers with a daily gaming duration of 4-10 hours. EEG signals were recorded using 16 electrodes according to the 10-20 standard with a sampling frequency of 100 Hz. The analysis focused on channels F3, F4, C3, C4, P3, and P4. The P300 was measured by observing amplitude and latency within the 200-500 ms range after the stimulus was presented. The results showed that problematic gamers responded faster to game-related stimuli than to non-game-related stimuli, with the highest P300 amplitude observed on channels C3 and P4. Furthermore, the number of ERP P300 responses in session 2 was lower than in session 1. ERP P300 was more frequently observed in channel C. A distinction was also found between slow and fast response times, where the slow condition showed more intense and widespread brain activity compared to the fast condition. This study provides insights into the relationship between excessive gaming habits and cognitive impulsivity, as well as the neurophysiological effects measured through P300 responses. Ethical clearance was obtained prior to the data recording process.