Following a recent research, video gaming may improve cognitive function in youngsters

Contrary to common opinion, playing video games may be related to improved cognitive function in youngsters, according to recent research.

The research, published in JAMA Network Open, found that children who reported playing video games for three hours or more per day outperformed children who had never played video games on cognitive abilities assessments requiring impulse control and working memory.

“This study contributes to our expanding knowledge of the links between video game activity and brain development,” said Nora Volkow of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

“Numerous research has shown a relationship between video gaming and behavioral and mental health issues. This research implies that there may be cognitive advantages to this popular sport that should be investigated further “Volkow elaborated.

The researchers analyzed data provided when children aged 9 and 10 joined the ABCD Study for study. The researchers examined survey, cognitive, and brain imaging data from nearly 2,000 people in the larger study cohort. They divided the youngsters into two groups: those who reported no video game activity and those who said playing video games for three hours or more per day. This level was chosen because it surpasses the American Academy of Pediatrics’ screen time standards, which suggest that older children restrict their video game time to one to two hours per day.

The scientists assessed the children’s performance on two activities that represented their capacity to regulate impulsive behavior and memorize information and their brain activity while doing the tasks for each group.

The researchers found that the children who reported playing video games for three or more hours per day were faster and more accurate on both cognitive tasks than those who never played. They also observed that the differences in cognitive function observed between the two groups were accompanied by differences in brain activity. Functional MRI brain imaging analyses found that children who played video games for three or more hours per day showed higher brain activity in regions of the brain associated with attention and memory than those who never played.

At the same time, children who played video games for at least three hours per day had increased brain activity in frontal brain areas associated with more cognitively demanding activities and less brain activity in vision-related brain regions.

Previously, the research found that video games might cause life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in sensitive adolescents whose susceptibility may have gone unnoticed.