Video Games

This large-scale population study examined the long-term effects of mobile phone and computer game use on brain structure and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Using data from the UK Biobank, researchers analyzed over 270,000 participants over nearly 14 years. The findings suggest that long-term mobile phone use is linked to a reduced risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. Neuroimaging data also indicated structural brain improvements in frequent users. However, no additional benefit was seen with excessive weekly phone use. These results challenge concerns about digital device exposure and suggest potential cognitive benefits.

This systematic review explores how video gaming impacts brain structure and function, particularly its role in neuroplasticity. Focusing on MRI-based intervention studies with healthy participants, it found that video games enhance cognitive areas such as memory, problem-solving, and visual-spatial processing by increasing grey matter in regions like the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Different genres offer varied benefits, with strategy and 3D adventure games showing the most pronounced effects. The findings highlight video gaming as a potential tool for cognitive improvement across age groups, demonstrating its significance in promoting brain adaptability and function.

This study examined whether expertise in video gaming or specializing in game genres (action vs. strategy) improves cognitive performance. Ninety-two participants completed two tasks: the Flanker Task, testing attention, and a Change Detection Task, testing visual memory. Despite earlier claims in video game research, this study found no significant cognitive advantage for frequent or expert gamers in either task. The results challenge the notion that playing video games significantly enhances transferable cognitive skills. The authors suggest prior positive findings may involve methodological biases or limited real-world applicability. This study highlights the need for replication and stricter methodologies in video game cognition research.

This study analyzed the relationship between video gaming and cognitive performance in 9- and 10-year-old children using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. It found small but statistically significant enhancements in response inhibition and working memory among children who played video games for at least 21 hours per week compared to non-gamers. Functional MRI scans showed differences in brain activity in regions related to attention and memory. However, video gamers also exhibited higher rates of attention problems, depression, and ADHD symptoms. These findings suggest gaming may modestly enhance certain cognitive functions but raise concerns about mental health impacts, requiring further longitudinal research.

This study investigated how physical activity and video gaming influence mental health and cognitive performance in over 1,000 participants. Regular exercise improved mental health, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, but did not enhance cognitive abilities like memory or reasoning. In contrast, frequent video gaming significantly boosted cognitive performance, particularly reasoning and short-term memory, but had no impact on mental health. The findings suggest that exercise and video gaming benefit different aspects of brain health and can complement one another.

This compilation of studies from Frontiers in Human Neuroscience explores how various interventions—physical-exercise, cognitive-training, video games, and combined approaches—enhance brain plasticity and cognitive function across the lifespan. physical-exercise boosts neuroplasticity and memory, while cognitive-training and video games improve specific cognitive skills like working memory. Combined approaches show promise for multitasking abilities and executive functions, especially in older adults. However, evidence is mixed regarding the long-term transferability of these benefits, emphasizing the importance of tailored, context-specific interventions. These findings underline the potential of lifestyle activities to support cognitive health, particularly in aging populations.

This review examines how video games might enhance cognitive skills in older adults, emphasizing brain plasticity and cognitive transfer. The authors suggest that action games, with features like sensory discrimination and adaptive challenges, align with principles of brain plasticity and could improve attention, memory, and reasoning. Older adults who engage in strategy and role-playing games may particularly benefit from enhancements in executive function, multitasking, and problem-solving. While early evidence supports video games as a tool for cognitive improvement, more research is needed to establish long-term benefits and specific game effects for older players. This research underscores the potential of games as an enjoyable intervention for maintaining cognitive health in aging.

This study compared the cognitive performance of action video game players (AVGPs) and non-gamers (NGs) after a cognitively fatiguing task (45-minute Stroop test) or a control condition (resting). AVGPs showed superior spatial working memory and attention on complex tasks but no advantage on simple attention tasks. Cognitive fatigue did not affect AVGPs differently from NGs, and both groups improved task-switching performance after the fatigue intervention. The findings suggest that while AVGPs may excel in demanding cognitive environments, they are not uniquely resistant to cognitive fatigue. This highlights how gaming can enhance specific cognitive skills but may not confer broader resilience.

This review explores the impact of commercial video games on cognitive functions, identifying six key areas of enhancement: attention, working memory, visuospatial skills, probabilistic learning, problem-solving, and language acquisition. Action video games (AVGs) particularly improve selective attention and visual memory, while strategy and role-playing games foster problem-solving and executive skills. However, cognitive improvements are often specific to trained tasks, with limited generalization. Factors such as age and gaming experience influence outcomes, emphasizing the need for personalized approaches. While commercial games show promise as cognitive-training tools, further research is required to confirm long-term and transferable benefits.

This editorial summarizes research on the cognitive effects of video games and game-like training, emphasizing their potential to enhance brain plasticity. It identifies mechanisms like adaptive difficulty, feedback, and motivation that make games effective for learning and rehabilitation. Games can improve attention, memory, and multitasking, but the benefits often remain task-specific and depend on individual differences like baseline cognitive abilities. Importantly, long-term benefits are unclear, as transfer to unrelated tasks is limited. Integrating game elements with evidence-based training techniques may optimize their effectiveness. This research highlights the promise of games as tools for cognitive development but stresses the need for rigorous methodology to validate their broader applications.

This meta-analysis investigated the effects of action video games (AVGs) on cognitive skills through 105 cross-sectional studies and 28 intervention studies. Results showed that AVG players significantly outperformed non-players in areas like attention, perception, and spatial cognition (effect size g = 0.64). Intervention studies demonstrated a causal link between AVG training and cognitive improvements, though with smaller effects (g = 0.30). Findings suggest AVGs enhance targeted cognitive skills, but their benefits are specific to the tasks practiced, with limited evidence of broad transfer. The study highlights AVGs’ potential for cognitive-training but cautions against generalizing their effects without further research.

This review critically examines the effects of video gaming on cognition, brain structure, and function, highlighting both potential benefits and methodological challenges in existing research. It finds that video gaming can enhance visuospatial cognition and attention, but evidence for improvements in memory, executive function, or general cognition is inconsistent. Brain imaging studies suggest changes in regions like the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and parietal areas, but results vary widely due to differences in game genres and study designs. The review emphasizes the need for standardized research protocols and theoretical frameworks to better understand the mechanisms behind gaming’s cognitive impacts and guide practical applications, such as therapeutic use.

This study investigated how playing action video games (AVGs) affects brain structure and function, focusing on the insula—a brain region crucial for attention and sensorimotor control. Comparing AVG experts and amateurs, the research found that experts had higher functional connectivity between the insula's subregions and larger gray matter volume in specific areas of the left insula. These enhancements were associated with better integration of attentional and sensorimotor networks, reflecting neuroplasticity driven by gaming experience. The findings suggest that AVGs may enhance cognitive skills by improving brain network efficiency, particularly in regions critical for multitasking and coordination.

This study examined whether different genres of video games—action, spatial memory, match-3, hidden-object, and life simulation—improve cognitive skills after 20 hours of training over four weeks. Results showed that action games enhanced attentional control and multiple-object tracking, while match-3 and hidden-object games improved visual search and spatial memory. Life simulation games had minimal impact on cognitive tasks. These findings suggest that video game benefits are task-specific, with each game genre fostering unique cognitive skills, depending on their demands. The study highlights the potential for video games to target specific cognitive abilities, though benefits may not transfer to unrelated tasks.

This opinion article discusses the potential of neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to adapt and reorganize—to improve cognitive function through targeted interventions like cognitive-training, video games, and other neurotherapeutics. It highlights successful studies using adaptive and feedback-driven tasks, such as the game "Neuroracer," which showed significant gains in multitasking and working memory in older adults. Key principles for effective interventions include continuous feedback and task adaptivity tailored to individual performance. The paper emphasizes the need for rigorous, controlled studies to assess long-term benefits and broader applications, envisioning future advancements in personalized, tech-based cognitive rehabilitation tools that leverage real-time brain activity.

This study assessed Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), a potential psychiatric condition identified in DSM-5, using data from over 18,000 participants in four large international surveys. IGD prevalence was estimated between 0.3% and 1%, significantly lower than gambling addiction. Indicators of IGD, such as withdrawal and tolerance, aligned with DSM-5 criteria but were rarely reported collectively. Most gamers did not exhibit pathological behavior, and evidence linking IGD to adverse physical, social, or mental health outcomes was mixed. The study highlights the importance of distinguishing between passionate gaming and problematic behavior, advocating for robust criteria and cross-cultural research to refine understanding of IGD.

This review explores how playing action video games (AVGs) impacts cognitive functions, particularly attentional control and learning to learn. AVGs improve selective attention in space, time, and objects, enhancing players' abilities to focus on relevant stimuli and ignore distractions. Unlike many cognitive-training methods that provide benefits limited to specific tasks, AVGs foster broader skill transfer by improving the capacity to adapt and learn new tasks. Benefits include enhanced multitasking, task-switching, and probabilistic reasoning. These findings suggest that AVGs may serve as tools for cognitive enhancement and rehabilitation, though effects depend on task relevance and game features like challenge and feedback.

This study investigated how video game experience affects executive function in older adults using fMRI. It compared video game players (VGPs) aged 60+ with non-video game players (NVGPs). VGPs outperformed NVGPs in the flanker task, which measures attention and conflict resolution, and showed higher brain activation in regions associated with executive function, such as the prefrontal and parietal cortices. Functional connectivity between these regions was also stronger in VGPs. The findings suggest that playing video games enhances cognitive abilities like multitasking and decision-making in older adults, potentially offering a way to combat age-related cognitive decline.

This systematic review examines the neural correlates of video gaming, focusing on structural and functional brain changes observed in studies using neuroimaging. It identifies consistent findings in areas such as attention, visuospatial skills, and cognitive control. Video gaming appears to enhance activity in regions like the prefrontal cortex, parietal lobes, and hippocampus, depending on the game genre and exposure. However, variability in study design and participant characteristics complicates conclusions about universal effects. While gaming shows promise for cognitive enhancement and rehabilitation, the review emphasizes the need for standardized methodologies and more robust studies to validate the broader implications of these findings.

This study explored how training with the video game "Space Fortress," which challenges working memory, attention, and motor control, impacts brain activity and cognitive performance. Participants trained for 15 sessions and showed changes in brain activation, particularly in the superior parietal lobe (SPL) and related regions linked to working memory. Increased plasticity in these areas predicted better performance in an untrained memory task (Sternberg Memory Search). The findings support the idea that brain changes induced by video games can transfer to similar cognitive tasks, highlighting the potential of targeted gaming for cognitive-training. However, improvements were task-specific, with no benefits for unrelated tasks.

This systematic review examined how video games impact brain cognitive function, focusing on evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. Across 13 studies, video gaming was associated with enhanced brain activation in areas such as the prefrontal and parietal lobes, hippocampus, and insula. Action games improved visual attention and sensorimotor coordination, while strategy games enhanced memory and executive function. Comprehensive games combining multiple genres led to widespread brain activation and improved cognitive flexibility. While the evidence supports gaming’s ability to induce structural and functional brain changes, the review highlights variability in game effects, emphasizing the importance of genre-specific research for therapeutic applications.

This systematic review examines how video gaming influences cognitive skills in non-problematic gamers, focusing on task-switching, attentional control, and time perception. It reveals that gaming improves the ability to alternate between tasks, maintain focus, and process rapid time intervals. Action games, in particular, enhance these skills by challenging players to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and react to dynamic environments. The studies reviewed also highlight that the benefits depend on the game genre and player engagement. While gaming improves specific cognitive functions, the transfer of these benefits to broader cognitive domains remains limited. The review underscores gaming's potential as a cognitive-training tool but calls for further research to clarify its mechanisms and applications.

This systematic review examines the impact of video games on cognition and behavior in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown. It highlights potential benefits such as improved attention, executive function, and spatial skills from games designed to challenge these areas. However, concerns include excessive gaming leading to attention issues, addictive behaviors, and social withdrawal. The review emphasizes the importance of game type and duration, as prosocial and educational games promote positive outcomes, while violent games may increase aggression. The findings suggest video games can enhance cognitive abilities when balanced and carefully chosen but underline the need for adult supervision and limits to prevent negative effects.

This literature review analyzed 27 studies on video games and their impact on cognitive skills and decision-making. Findings showed that games improve abilities like perception, attentional control, and decision-making, varying by genre. Real-time strategy (RTS) games enhance cognitive flexibility, while first-person shooters (FPS) improve reaction times and task-switching efficiency. Simulation games also aid decision-making in fields like medicine. High school and undergraduate students who played games performed better on cognitive tasks compared to non-gamers. These results suggest video games can train specific mental skills effectively, though the transfer to broader applications remains unclear, warranting further research.

This study investigated how proficiency in various video game genres impacts cognitive functions and empathy in early adulthood. Using tests for memory, reaction time, and empathy, the findings showed that different genres yield unique cognitive benefits. For example, role-playing games (RPGs) improved verbal working memory and visuospatial memory but were linked to reduced empathy. Puzzle games enhanced visuospatial working memory, and action games boosted attentional speed and hand-eye coordination. The results indicate that video games can target specific cognitive abilities, offering potential applications in training and rehabilitation. However, the relationship between gaming and empathy remains complex and warrants further study.

This meta-analysis investigated whether video game training improves cognitive abilities, reviewing 359 studies. Results showed little to no evidence that playing video games enhances overall cognitive function beyond the specific skills practiced during gaming. Improvements were limited to trained tasks, with no "far transfer" of benefits to unrelated cognitive abilities. For example, spatial skills may improve with action games, but gains do not generalize to broader intelligence or memory tasks. These findings challenge the notion of video games as universal cognitive enhancers, emphasizing that their impact is highly task-specific. The study advocates for more rigorous research to explore the nuances of gaming and cognition.

This study examined whether video games can reduce age-related cognitive decline in older adults (aged 54–86). Participants played either an action video game ("Mario Kart DS") or a brain fitness game ("Brain Age 2") over 12 weeks, or were part of a no-game control group. Cognitive improvements were not significant in either game group compared to controls. However, compliance and enjoyment were higher for the brain fitness game, as older adults found it more intellectually engaging and less physically demanding. Action game players reported low compliance due to discomfort and lack of perceived benefits. The study emphasizes the challenges of designing enjoyable and effective gaming interventions for older adults to support cognitive health.

This review investigates how video games influence spatial abilities, focusing on mental rotation and visual-spatial reasoning. Studies reviewed suggest that video game training modestly improves these skills, particularly in games emphasizing 3D navigation or visual problem-solving. However, results vary widely due to inconsistent methods, small sample sizes, and statistical limitations. Improvements often occur in trained tasks with limited evidence of generalization to broader cognitive domains. Gender-specific benefits were noted, as certain games helped reduce the spatial ability gap for women. While promising, these findings highlight the need for rigorous designs and better controls to draw stronger conclusions about video games' cognitive benefits.

This systematic review assessed 35 studies examining video games' effects on cognitive and emotional skills in healthy adults. Video games were shown to enhance cognitive abilities, including reaction times, task-switching, memory, and spatial reasoning. Puzzle and action games were particularly effective in improving task-switching and processing speed, while brain-training games enhanced memory and executive function. Emotional benefits included stress reduction and mood enhancement, especially with low-intensity games like puzzles or action games featuring stress-management components. The review highlights video games' therapeutic potential for maintaining cognitive and emotional health, with effects varying by game genre and individual player characteristics.

This study examined the effectiveness of a virtual audio-based environment simulator (AbES) for teaching spatial navigation to blind individuals. Participants either explored the virtual environment via a game-based approach or received guided instructions from facilitators. Both methods led to successful navigation of the corresponding real-world environment, but gamers demonstrated superior flexibility, such as finding alternative routes. This suggests video game-based training fosters better spatial understanding and mental map manipulation, potentially aiding orientation and mobility training for the blind.