How Video Games Affect Brain Functions

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13 Mar 2024

Research shows a link between playing certain video games and improved decision-making abilities and cognitive flexibility. There is an observable difference between the brain structure of individuals who play video games frequently and those who do not.

Video games actually increase brain volume in areas responsible for fine motor skill control, memory formation and strategic planning. Video games could potentially play a therapeutic role in the treatment of various brain disorders and conditions resulting from brain damage.

Video Games Increase Brain Volume

A study by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Charité University of Medicine St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus has revealed that playing real-time strategy games such as Super Mario 64 can increase the brain's gray matter. Gray matter is the layer of the brain also known as the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex covers the outer part of the cerebrum and cerebellum. Increases in gray matter were found in the right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex and cerebellum of those who played strategy games. The hippocampus is responsible for forming, organizing and storing memories. It also links emotions and senses such as smell and sound to memories. The prefrontal cortex is located in the frontal lobe of the brain and is involved in functions such as decision-making, problem solving, planning, voluntary muscle movement and impulse control. The cerebellum contains hundreds of millions of neurons for processing data. It helps control fine movement coordination, muscle tone, balance and equilibrium. These increases in gray matter improve cognitive function in specific brain regions.

Action Games Improve Visual Attention

Research also shows that playing certain video games can improve visual attention. A person's level of visual attention is based on the brain's ability to process relevant visual information and suppress irrelevant information. In studies, video gamers consistently outperform their non-gamer counterparts when performing tasks related to visual attention. It is important to note that the type of video game played is an important factor in enhancing visual attention. Games that require quick responses and divided attention to visual information, such as Halo, increase visual attention, while other types of games do not. When non-video game players were trained with action games, they showed improvements in visual attention. It is believed that action games may have applications in military training and therapeutic treatments for some visual impairments.

Video Games Reverse the Negative Effects of Aging

Playing video games is not just for children and young adults. Video games have been found to improve cognitive function in older adults. These cognitive improvements in memory and attention were not only beneficial, but also lasting. After training with a 3D video game specifically designed to improve cognitive performance, the 60 to 85-year-olds in the study outperformed 20 to 30-year-olds who were playing the game for the first time. Studies like this one show that playing video games can reverse some of the cognitive decline associated with increasing age.