When two individuals face each other in the classic game of "rock, paper or scissors", or when we participate in a game of cards, poker or any other game that involves interpreting the intention of other people in order to develop a "winning" strategy , brain activity is different than if we solve a puzzle or play solitaire, according to the authors of a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . In any game the basal ganglia intervenes, a group of brain structures involved in the control of muscle movement, in the definition of goals and in learning , all mediated by the neurotransmitter dopamine -which also makes playing fun for us- . This brain structure learns from the consequences of our own actions .
But in games that involve competition, the anterior cingulate is also activated, which has to do with error processing and with social and emotional learning. The authors assure that now that, thanks to the study, it is better known how the brain works when developing strategic thinking and learning from the actions of others, it will be possible to understand pathologies that affect these processes, such as schizophrenia or depression.
