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The research was conducted jointly by the Max Planck
Institute for Human Development and Charite University Medicine, both located
in Berlin. Scientists had 23 adults play Super Mario 64 on a Nintendo XXL for
30 minutes each day for two months. A control group played no video games for
the same time period.
Brain scans showed the gamer group had
"significant" increased in gray
matter in the right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum. There
was also a correlation between the gamers' reported desire to play and the amount
of the increase. You can try that as an excuse the next time someone complains
about how much time you're spending with your console.
Video games have already made their way into health
treatments. A study by North Carolina State University found that gaming
seniors were less likely to be depressed. Game mechanics have been integrated
into physical therapy equipment. Re-Mission, a game that involves blasting
cancer cells, was developed to help motivate young adults with cancer.
It would be interesting to use a larger participant
group, and even investigate the impact of different kinds of game.
