Brain optimization with additional study time: potential brain differences between high- and low-performance college students

Author:

Xu Zhiwei,Zhang Pengfei,Tu Mengting,Zhang Miao,Lai Yuanhang

Abstract

This study investigates potential differences in brain function among high-, average-, and low-performance college students using electroencephalography (EEG). We hypothesize that the increased academic engagement of high-performance students will lead to discernible EEG variations due to the brain’s structural plasticity. 61 third-year college students from identical majors were divided into high-performance (n = 20), average-performance (n = 21), and low-performance (n = 20) groups based on their academic achievements. We conducted three EEG experiments: resting state, Sternberg working memory task, and Raven progressive matrix task. Comprehensive analyses of the EEG data from the three experiments focused on power spectral density (PSD) and functional connectivity, with coherence (COH) employed as our primary metric for the latter. The results showed that in all experiments, there were no differences in working memory ability and IQ scores among the groups, and there were no significant differences in the power spectral densities of the delta, theta, alpha1, alpha2, beta, and gamma bands among the groups. Notably, on the Raven test, compared to their high-performing peers, low-performing students showed enhanced functional connectivity in the alpha 1 (8–9 Hz) band that connects the frontal and occipital lobes. We explored three potential explanations for this phenomenon: fatigue, anxiety, and greater cognitive effort required for problem-solving due to inefficient self-regulation and increased susceptibility to distraction. In essence, these insights not only deepen our understanding of the neural basis that anchors academic ability, but also hold promise in guiding interventions that address students’ diverse academic needs.

Publisher

Frontiers Media SA

Subject

General Psychology

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3