Comparación de la actividad cortical mediante EEG en ajedrecistas infantiles con distinto nivel de experiencia para identificar diferencias cognitivas

Abstract

The present experimental study analyzes cortical activity in child chess players with different levels of experience, with the aim of identifying cognitive differences associated with chess training and its impact on cognitive functions. An experimental design was implemented with two groups: an experimental group receiving four hours of chess training per week over the course of one year, and a control group receiving one hour per week, allowing for the evaluation of the effects of intensive versus moderate training. Participants were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure a healthy pediatric population suitable for EEG measurement, while guaranteeing data anonymity and confidentiality. Brain activity was recorded using a 32-channel actiCHamp system (Brain Products) following the international 10–20 electrode placement system. Recordings were conducted during resting-state conditions with eyes open and closed, as well as while participants solved sequential chess exercises on the Lichess.org platform, enabling the capture of cortical activity during structured cognitive tasks. EEG signals underwent preprocessing procedures, including artifact removal, task-based segmentation, and extraction of relevant spectral features. Data analysis was performed using Python and the MNE, NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, and Seaborn libraries, allowing statistical comparisons between groups according to chess experience. The results reveal notable differences in theta and beta band activity, indicating greater neuronal synchronization and cognitive efficiency in children who received intensive chess training. These findings highlight the relevance of incorporating chess into educational programs as a strategy to strengthen cognitive development, enhance attention and concentration skills, and stimulate executive processes in the pediatric population, providing scientific evidence to support its inclusion in academic curricula