Comparison of Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex and Cognitive Functions in E-Athletes and Non-Athletes

NCT ID: NCT07211191

Last Updated: 2025-10-07

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 36 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-05-27
• Study Completion Date: 2021-09-23

Brief Summary

This study aims to compare cognitive functions and functional vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) between e-athletes and non-athletes. Participants aged 17-27 years will complete the Stroop Test, Corsi Block-Tapping Test, and Functional Head Impulse Test (F-HIT) during a single baseline session. Cognitive measures will include attention, response inhibition, and visuospatial memory, while F-HIT will assess dynamic gaze stability. The study uses a cross-sectional design to explore potential differences between groups. Findings are expected to provide preliminary evidence on whether competitive gaming is associated with cognitive advantages or vestibular adaptations.

Detailed Description

Esports requires rapid visuomotor coordination, attentional control, and working memory. While traditional sports have been extensively studied in relation to cognitive and vestibular performance, limited evidence exists regarding esports. Some studies suggest that video gaming may improve executive function, visuospatial memory, and processing speed, whereas others have reported impairments in response inhibition. In addition, the potential effects of esports on vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) function, which is essential for gaze stability during head movements, remain largely unexplored.

This cross-sectional study is designed to compare cognitive and vestibular performance between esports athletes and non-athlete controls. Participants include young adults with and without at least four years of competitive gaming experience. Cognitive abilities are assessed with the Stroop Test, which measures selective attention, inhibition, and processing speed, and the Corsi Block-Tapping Test, which evaluates visuospatial short-term and working memory. Vestibular performance is assessed with the Functional Head Impulse Test (F-HIT), which measures dynamic visual accuracy during passive head impulses in horizontal and vertical planes.

The primary outcome is Stroop Test Part V completion time under interference conditions. Secondary outcomes include Stroop errors and corrections, forward and backward Corsi spans, and F-HIT percent correct answers. By integrating cognitive and vestibular assessments, this study aims to provide preliminary evidence on whether intensive esports participation is associated with cognitive advantages, vestibular adaptations, or both. The findings may contribute to a better understanding of the health and performance characteristics of esports athletes and guide the development of evidence-based training strategies.

Conditions

Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex; Esports Participation; Cognitive Functioning

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: CASE_CONTROL
• Study Time Perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

E-Athletes

Healthy volunteers aged 17-27 years with at least 4 years of competitive esports experience and a minimum of 20 hours per week of training. All had normal or corrected-to-normal vision, normal Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores, and no neurological or psychiatric disorders or neck movement limitations. Participants were adaptable to cognitive and vestibular testing.

No interventions assigned to this group

Non-Athlete Controls

Healthy volunteers aged 17-27 years with no prior competitive esports or organized sports training. All had normal or corrected-to-normal vision, normal Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores, and no neurological or psychiatric disorders or neck movement limitations. Participants were adaptable to cognitive and vestibular testing.

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age between 17 and 27 years
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score within normal limits
• No neurological or psychiatric disorder
• No neck movement restriction
• Ability to adapt to cognitive and vestibular tests
• For e-athlete group: ≥4 years of esports experience and ≥20 hours per week of training
• For control group: No prior competitive esports or organized sports training

Exclusion Criteria

• Hearing loss or tinnitus affecting functional performance
• History of dizziness within the last 3 months
• Active or diagnosed migraine with vestibular involvement
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
• History of head trauma
• Systemic or neurological diseases affecting cognitive or vestibular function
• Visual impairments not corrected with glasses or lenses

• Minimum Eligible Age: 17 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 27 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Medipol University Mega Hospital

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Yusa Basoglu

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Yusa Basoglu

Assistant Professor of Audiology

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Istanbul Medipol University

Istanbul, BEYKOZ, Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Other Identifiers

Istanbul Medipol University

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

IMU-EC-855-2021

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id