Kids who play video games score higher on brain function tests
Kids who play video games score higher on brain function tests
Kids who play video games score higher on brain function tests
By Nicole Wetsman
October 24, 2022
Summary
Kids who play video games have better memory and better control over their motor skills than kids who don't, according to a new study looking at adolescent brain function.
Video games might not be responsible for those differences - the study can't say what the causes are - but the findings add to a bigger body of work showing gamers have better performance on some tests of brain function.
"This study adds to our growing understanding of the associations between playing video games and brain development," said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in a statement.
The ABCD study asked participants how many hours of video games they played on a typical weekday or weekend day.
Companies are trying to leverage those differences to develop video games that treat cognitive conditions.
Akili Interactive, for example, has a prescription video game to treat ADHD, and DeepWell Digital Therapeutics wants to find the therapeutic value in existing games.
There are many different types of video games, as well - this new study, for example, didn't ask what games the gamers played.
Reference
Wetsman, N. (2022, October 24). Kids who play video games score higher on Brain Function tests. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/24/23420502/video-game-kid-brain-function-fmri