Playing Video Games Could Help Prevent
esearchers have discovered a link between video games
and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's, which means knowing
the difference between red and green turtle shells now
could make all the difference later in life.
In a new study from the University of Montreal, scientists decided
to look into the connection between three-dimensional gaming
platforms and growth in different areas in the brain among older folks.
Specifically, grey matter in the hippocampus, a vital neurological
tissue the promotes memory building, and the loss of which is
associated with many psychiatric diseases, such as Alzheimer's.
Video games have already been proven to increase grey matter in
the hippocampus in young adults, after all. Why couldn't they do the
same for those more prone to brain deterioration?
The scientists took 33 people between the ages of 55 and 75 and
split them into three groups: one group to do nothing, one group to
learn how to play the piano with a computer program, and one group
to play Super Mario 64. At the end of six months, only the video
game-playing group showed a significant increase in grey matter in
the hippocampus. The group who did nothing showed significant grey
matter loss, and the gamers and piano players both showed a growth
in grey matter in the cerebellum, which controls motor movements
and is also connected to short-term memory.
As a result, the study was able to hypothesize that playing 3D
video games can increase grey matter in the brain, improving
memory and preventing the effects of aging, like Alzheimer's. Why?
Three-dimensional games force players to be spatially aware and
build cognitive maps that they then must remember. It's a hefty lift for
the brain.
It bears noting that the study was tiny, and more research must be
done to determine if cognitive games in general can help stave of
brain deterioration, or if only video games specifically do the trick. But
it'd be pretty cool if all it took to keep our brains healthy was a few
hours of whirling around the Mushroom Kingdom with Mario and
Luigi. And if you don't know what that means, you might want to learn
soon.
R
by Sarah Rense