TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Several scientific studies show video game turned out to have a number of benefits for human health. Recently, many video game studies have shown beneficial effects on cognition and the brain.
The following are the benefits of video games for human health as reported by the sciencealert.com page:
1. 3D video games can increase capacity memory
In a 2015 study in The journal of Neuroscience, researchers from the University of California, Irvine recruited 69 participants, and asked a third to play Super Mario 3D World for two weeks, a third to play Angry Birds, and the rest to play nothing.
“Because of their engaging experiences and enriching 3D virtual environments, the same video games that children and adults have been playing for decades can actually provide our brains with meaningful stimulation,” the study wrote.
Participants who played Mario performed better on a follow-up memory task, while the others showed no improvement before and after the game. “Video gamers who particularly like complex 3D video games perform better,” the study concluded.
2. Playing games is good for pain relief
Some people play games to soothe the pain. A 2012 literature review published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that in 38 studies examined, video games improved the health outcomes of 195 patients on every line, including psychological and physical therapy.
In 2010, scientists presented research at the American Pain Society conference, which found evidence that playing video games, especially virtual reality games, is effective in reducing anxiety or pain caused by chronic illnesses or medical procedures.
“The focus is on the game instead of pain or medical procedures, whereas virtual reality experiences engage the visual and other senses,” said Jeffrey Gold of the University of Southern California.
3. Games help dyslexic children improve their reading skills
A 2013 study published in Cell investigated the effect that playing action games, such as Rayman Raving Rabbids, could help dyslexic children ages 7 to 13 read faster, without losing accuracy.
The results are the same as or better with traditional reading treatments, which can be more time-consuming and unpleasant. Researchers think that this fast pace in play helps children increase their attention span, although this hypothesis has not been tested.
4. Video games make you smarter
A study published in PLoS ONE in 2013 said cognition might be improved when a person starts an Xbox or PlayStation. The researchers took five groups of non-gamers, and made them play phone games for one hour a day for four weeks. They found that all video games, both action and non-action games, improved cognitive function in participants.
5. Games can improve brain material
A 2014 study published in Molecular Psychiatry by researchers from the Max Planck Institute in Germany found that playing Super Mario 64 led to an increase in the size of brain regions. Specifically the part of the brain responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation, strategic planning, and fine motor skills.
When the researchers looked at 24 participants who had played the game for 30 minutes a day for two months under an MRI machine, they found that they had increased gray matter in the right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex, and brain small. “This proves that certain brain regions can be trained through video games,” said one of the researchers, Simone Kuh.
HENDRIK KHOIRUL MUHID
Also read: Study: Video Games Are Good for Mental Health
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