The paper found significant differences between the brains of the experts vs. the novices. What was most interesting, perhaps, was that not only were certain areas of the brain different, but the interconnections of the brain showed different proportions between the experts and the control. The researchers discovered a greater mass of interconnectivity tissue (white matter) connecting several areas of the brain.
The results also revealed that trained Go players develop increasted cognitive neural activity in the areas of the brain related to spacial perception, attention, working memory, executive control and problem solving.
The findings also show increased abilities among the experts in the regions related to visuospacial processing. The Go players could more accurately perceive the board and the spatial relationships among the stones. Visuospacial processing is also responsible for tracing a player's steps across the board and asses each stone group's relationships to each other.
So, can Go really help one's cognitive awareness? Studies seem to suggest that it can in the sense that the game trains the mind to better focus on the player's environment, consider a wider array of possiblities, and formulate plans to reach the desired outcome.