Curriculum
Neuroscience, Technology, and Society, XXXVI series
Grant sponsor
Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, UNIPD
Supervisor

Andrea Facoetti
Co-supervisor
s
Claudio Palazzi

Project: Improve Reading-Related Skills Manipulating Attentional Control through Video Games, Parietal Neuromodulation, Caffeine and Positive Expectations
Full text of the dissertation book can be downloaded from: not available yet

Abstract:This dissertation investigates the multifaceted aspects of attention, exploring its definition, models, neural substrates, neurotransmitters, and interplay with emotions and expectations. The overarching objective is to unravel the intricate relationship between attentional control mechanisms and various interventions, encompassing action video game (AVG) training, emotional modulation through gaming, caffeine consumption, and the use of Lexilens® glasses, in the context of enhancing cognitive functions, particularly in individuals with developmental dyslexia (DD) and reading difficulties. Specifically, Chapter 1 provides a comprehensive overview of attention, delineating its models and the neural substrates underpinning this fundamental cognitive process. It explores the intersection between attention, emotions, and expectations, laying the groundwork for subsequent investigations. Chapter 2 delves into the long-term effects of AVG training on attention, utilizing studies focused on children and adults with DD. These studies, including a meta-analysis, examine how AVG training impacts this population’s attentional control, phonological processing, and reading abilities. Additionally, the chapter investigates the synergistic effects of AVG coupled with transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) in adults with DD. Chapter 3 focuses on the short-term effects of gaming and positive emotions on cognitive functioning across various age groups. Studies in this chapter probe into the immediate cognitive impacts of gaming and emotional states in school-age and preschool children, as well as young adults with and without reading difficulties. The research examines the role of action-like video games in salience processing and its implications for reading-related skills. In Chapter 4, we investigate the effect of caffeine on attention modulation in a sample of healthy young adults. The study unveils the potential of this substance to enhance text reading abilities, executive control, and positive emotional engagement. Finally, Chapter 5 explores the impact of Lexilens® glasses on reading enhancement. More interestingly, this section investigates the placebo effect driven by expectations and the influence of flickering glasses on reading skills in children with DD and young adults without a diagnosis of DD. 8 Collectively, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of attentional mechanisms and their modulation through diverse interventions. It elucidates the potential of AVGs, emotional modulation, caffeine, and innovative technologies like Lexilens® glasses in enhancing reading-related functions, particularly in populations with specific learning difficulties, while also outlining limitations and paving the way for future research in this domain. The concluding evidence in this paper also highlights the role of expectations and the importance of predicting the placebo effect in training and in more general experimentation, especially when the research design involves children and/or susceptible populations.