Video Gaming Can Increase Brain Size and Connectivity

Psychology Today writer, Christopher Bergland, shares details from a very compelling new study entitled, "Playing Super Mario Induces Structural Brain Plasticity: Gray Matter Changes Resulting from Training with a Commercial Video Game". The study, conducted at the Max Plank Institute for Human Development and the Charité University for Medicine in Berlin, explains that video gaming can actually increase cognitive function and performance. We learn from this study that certain areas of the brain can be trained to work differently by way of video game use. This is a major breakthrough study that scientists believe suggests could be potentially beneficial for patients with various psychiatric disorders. The claim is that by training with certain video games, symptoms for mental health problems such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's dementia and more may be reduced as a result of repeated video-game play. Of course, scientists stress, that it would have to be the "right" video games. The main warrant here is that not all video games are bad for our brains. Some games have the potential to improve hand-eye coordination and actually increase intelligence, among other things. Researchers call on qualitative and quantitative data to provide us with plenty of credibility (ethos) and logos. The hope in this article is that researchers will continue to test more educational video games that are specifically created to increase brain functioning and have benefits beyond purely just entertainment purposes. Evidence is continuing to suggest that video games could be a very beneficial tool for children starting at a young age. It is a technology that youth really wants to interact with, so the sentiment is that we may as well start trying to make more games that can help steer our society in a positive direction!

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Video Games as a Beneficial Tool