While some people might think getting engrossed in a video game is a waste of time, scientists have found they can increase the size of our brains.
German researchers found video gaming causes increases in the brain regions responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation and strategic planning as well as fine motor skills.
In order to examine how video games affect the brain, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Charité University Medicine St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus, asked adults to play Super Mario 64 for 30 minutes a day over a period of two months.
A control group did not play the game and the researchers measured brain volume using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
They found that in comparison to the people who did not play video games, the regular gamers showed increases of grey matter, in which the cell bodies of the nerve cells of the brain are situated.
This growth was seen in the right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum.
These parts of the brain are involved in functions such as spatial navigation, memory formation, strategic planning and fine motor skills of the hands and the changes were most noticeable in participants who were eager to play the game.
Dr Kühn and her colleagues believe that video games could be used as therapy for patients with mental disorders, in which brain regions are altered or reduced in size, such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s dementia.
