PLAYING video games may do more than entertain; it could also provide a modest boost to memory and other cognitive skills, according to a new review of more than 130 studies.
The research, published in Acta Psychologica, found that gamers generally performed slightly better than non-gamers on tests of memory, attention, spatial reasoning and cognitive control. However, the improvements were modest, with memory showing the most consistent benefit.
Researchers from Shanghai Normal University had analysed data from 133 studies involving 14,245 participants of different ages and health backgrounds to better understand the relationship between gaming and brain function.
The team found that people who regularly played video games tended to perform better on a range of cognitive tests than those who did not.
In studies that tracked people before and after a gaming intervention, participants also showed small, but measurable improvements in overall cognitive performance.
Memory emerged as the strongest
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