Wellness Wednesday

The Type of Video Game You're Playing May Affect Your Memory Attention
Games such as Call of Duty may be associated with a shrinkage in the hippocampus, whereas games such as Super Mario are associated with a positive effect in the hippocampus.

A device that has the ability to play video games is present in 65% of American households. Perhaps even more staggering is the percentage of children who play video games, standing at 91%. With video games playing such a vital role in American children's' lives and upbringing, it is perhaps vital that we gain a better understanding of the effect that different genres of video games have on our youth. One such group of researchers had that same exact question and reviewed dozens of studies to see if there was a correlation between the type of video games a person played and the effect on a specific body part. 

After reviewing the studies, the researchers gathered 33 different participants and interviewed them on how often they played video games coupled with an MRI scan on their brains. The initial scans on those who reported playing 19 hours or more of action video games, such as Call of Duty, had less gray matter in their hippocampus than those who reported not playing any video games. The results were statistically significant in regards to the difference in the part of the brain that deals with spatial navigation, stress relief, and memory.

The researchers then took 443 new participants, and placed them in a designed controlled study where they were to spend 90 hours over 10 weeks playing either action-based video games or super Mario games. The conclusion of the study found that those who played action based video games lost gray matter in their hippocampus, whereas those who played the Mario games improved their gray matter. While those who play action-based video games may be alarmed with this conclusion, they should know that, as with anything else, moderation is key. And for those looking for a game to increase their hippocampus' ability, they should shoot for a 3-D based game with puzzles.