o Games Could Help Prevent
esearchers have discovered a link between video games
R 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 .