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Video games for sharp brains

Playing video games enhances reasoning, memory and other cognitive abilities in older adults.

Video games for sharp brains

Playing video games enhances reasoning, memory and other cognitive abilities in older adults. To check whether video games can help older adults in improving their memory and reasoning functions, researchers from America followed 40 adults aged between 60 and 70 years. The participants were randomly assigned to either the video-game group or a comparison group that received no training in the game. Over 1 month, the gamer group spent about 23 hours training in "Rise of Nations," an off-the-shelf video game where players seek world domination. The game requires a complex set of tasks, including military strategy, building cities, managing economies and feeding people. It was found that those who learnt to play a strategy-heavy video game improved their scores on a number of tests of cognitive function. Further, men and women who trained in the game for about a month scored really well in tests of memory, reasoning and the ability to multi-task. The above findings suggest that video games that keep players on their toes might help older adults keep their brains sharp. The games can enhance reasoning, memory and other cognitive abilities that often decline with age. Although more research is needed to confirm and extend the findings, the findings are in line with research suggesting that older adults can improve their cognitive health by staying both physically active and mentally active through activities such as reading, writing or other hobbies.
Psychology and Aging
December 2008

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