Can Video Games Keep Your Brain Healthy?

Recent stigmas and wavering public attitudes concerning video games have posed the concern that their impact may be potentially dangerous for mental health, although there is evidence suggesting that these speculations are invalid.

But, how can you dismiss the link between such conjectures and violent criminal activity? So far, any possibility of categorizing video games as beneficial to our brains is hard to believe.

Is it possible that video games can help to exercise your cognitive function? When considering online games like Solitaire or Tetris that keep the brain engaged but aren’t necessarily “brain training,” the idea might not seem so far-fetched.

The Science

A provocative study conducted by The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science grappled with the prospect that video games can not only improve brain function but may also be a means to help improve psychiatric disorders with therapeutic intervention. The study consisted of a group that was asked to play a video game for 30 minutes a day and a control group that did not.

The Results

Data from MRI’s concluded that the group exposed to video games daily exhibited changes throughout the brain. There was an increase in grey matter in the brain, volume, and several regions that were affected.

Facets improved upon were spatial navigation, the formation of memory, critical thinking, strategizing, and noticeably improved coordination of the hands.

Aside from this, changes in the brain demonstrated an increase in volume. For this reason, video games may be a reasonable approach to dealing with disorders such as schizophrenia, PTSD, or Alzheimer’s, which can reduce the volume of the brain.

However, evidence supporting the claim that video games may have a positive influence on the health of certain brain systems is continuing to grow. So, don’t give up your brain-training routine for the trendiest video game just yet.