Playing your favourite mobile games could help treat certain brain disorders, according to a recent
study investigating the effects of gaming on the brain.
An investigation by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development found that video games had the potential of increasing the size of certain areas of the brain that dealt with spatial awareness, planning, motor skills and the formation of memories.
The results of the study show that these types of games engage a player’s brain, and grows areas of the brain that are usually decreased by mental disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimers. The video games have a therapeutic affect and help players to keep their brains active.
The participants of the study were expected to play Super Mario 64 for 30 minutes a day for a period of two months. The group was compared against another who hadn’t played video games, and was measured in brain volume by magnetic response imaging (MRI).
Those who played Mario showed an increase in grey matter in the right hippocampus, which recorded even more drastic growth when participants expressed a desire to play the game. As a result, the study proves that specific regions of the brain can be trained by video games, since the report implied a direct causal link between stimulating games and a volumetric brain increase.
The institute claims that it has ongoing investigations into the effect of video gaming on disorders such as post-traumatic stress. The studies aim to give a better understanding into how video and mobile games such as Fortune Frenzy have the potential to engage a players mind and improve the activity of their brains.
Excellent, now I have an excuse to play!