A few more reasons why video games are good for you… Tested and proved

Research late last year found that playing video games can increase brain volume in several regions of the brain.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Charite University Medicine St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus who concluded that 30 minutes of gaming a day for a period of two months triggered significant grey matter increases in the right hippocampal formation, in the right dorsolateral prefonteral cortex and the bilateral cerebellum. These regions of the brain are responsible for spatial navigation, strategic planning, memory formation, as well as fine motor skills of the hands.

It has been discovered that playing video games can increase brain volume in more regions of the brain after carrying studies with control groups who didn’t play games at all and with control groups who were asked to play Super Mario 64 for half-an-hour a day over a two month period.  Brain volume was measured via MRI, observing that changes were applied more to people who expressed the most desire to play the game.

The research highlights mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and neurodegenerative disease as specific examples.

Research released last month has suggested that being evil in video games may make players more morally sensitive.

Committing immoral acts in video games can make you feel guilty, which can result in a better behaviour towards other actual human in real life.

Another discovery is that Tetris, a visually-based task, can help reduce cravings since visual imagery is a central part of craving. Users who tested this theory were asked to play the game if they were feeling a craving or placed in front of a computer waiting for it to load a program.

Games can enhance cognitive control in older adults, showed a study of people between 60 and 85 year old. It seems that cognitive control in participants can improve if they play a video name called NeuroRacer.

Perhaps the most important conclusion is that children with cerebral palsy can use video games as part of their therapy.  Research has been carried since the mid 2000s, with more and more organisations who found the Microsoft’s Kinect motio based games are helpful for rehabiliting children with cerebral palsy.

The study has been done with 11 children, who played video games for eight weeks and showed improvement in balance among the participants.

Researchers at the Bloorview Research Institute in Canada and the Helene Elsass Center and University of Copenhagen in Denmark have also created programs for Kinect to help kids with CP improve their motor functions.

http://www.boogames.eu/