Study Suggests Fitness Video Games May Be Good for Brain Health and Memory
There was a time when parents worry about the negative effects video games will have on their kids. It seems like those parents, who are senior citizens by now, may need more gaming than their children did to keep their senses from falling to senility and dementia.
A new study revealed that those who immerse themselves in fitness video games benefited from improved cognitive performance and enhanced memory. Highly recommended are "exergames" or interactive video games that require the player to produce physical body movements like those played in Microsoft Xbox Kinect.
"As people age, their brain functioning such as memory, concentration and spatial awareness naturally decline," study co-author Joseph Firth of the University of Manchester said. This deterioration may result to worse forms of neurological conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
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The researchers subjected 926 people to 17 clinical trials to study the effects of physically active video games on cognition. They found that exergames have a greater impact on brain function than regular physical activity alone. Particularly, the games improved attention, visuospatial abilities and executive functioning, which helps people make everyday decisions.
"Our research shows the potential of active video games that can be used independently at home and remotely supervised by therapists," Dr. Emm Stanmore who is part of the research team said. "The brain benefits may be because these activities are physically demanding, while also requiring concentration and cognitive effort, resulting in positive effects for body and brain," he added.
After 12 weeks of playing Mira games, the trial showed that participants improved their balance, and reduced their pain and fear of falling. As early as 2011, experts have observed exergames that require moving around are more beneficial to older adults. The research team hopes the National Health Service will include active gaming in treating mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
