The Doctor Approves
That’s what Dr. Ryuta Kawashima asked me the last time I logged into Brain Age since it had been a while since I played. I enjoy the game, but kind of fell out of it when I scored an age of 20. I still think I held onto my improvement in math skills though and have been meaning to get around to buying Brain Age 2.
Before Brain Age, or similar games, kids have been trying to convince their parents that playing video games was actually helping them in other ways. Such as memorization, pattern recognition, hand-to-eye coordination, etc. Usually just with the intent to be allowed to play for a few minutes more before bedtime though. However there may be some truth to it after all.
According to an article earlier this month on Time.com, research has been done, and will continue to be thanks to some recently approved grants, in the area of the effects of gaming on the minds of the elderly.
From the article:
There is, of course, no cure for memory loss, and no preventive vaccine. Yet a rapidly growing body of evidence suggests that certain behaviors may reliably slow the effects of age-related cognitive decline. Chief among them: eating right, exercising and engaging in social activity and mentally challenging tasks.
It’s that last item that most interests psychologists Anne McLaughlin and Jason Allaire at North Carolina State University. The duo are part of a team that was just awarded $1.2 million from the National Science Foundation to fund a four-year study of cognitive decline in the elderly — specifically, whether playing certain video games might help slow the effects of aging. The theory is that the strategy, memory and problem-solving skills necessary for mastering certain games may translate to benefits in the real world, beyond a glowing computer screen.
Would this fall into the “if you don’t use it you lose it” category? I guess it is, after all, related to various aspects of one’s life and wellbeing: physical, mental, and social capabilities. I think that sometimes I spend more time working on diet than I do physical activity, or the opposite. And at many times I let go of the mental side a bit and never exercise my melon.
After reading this article I think I am going to track down my copy of Brain Age and pick up Brain Age 2 and see how going through the daily exercises again affects my life. Besides math skills improving, will my mental capacity in general increase, such as my memory? What else will exercising my brain be able to positively affect in my life?
Maybe my head will get all swollen and veiny and I will be able to move thing with the power of my mind!
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