We stirred up a bit of a debate recently after reporting that a 13-year old attempted to rape his mother, and killed…
We stirred up a bit of a debate recently after reporting that a 13-year old attempted to rape his mother, and killed her for taking away Call of Duty. This, combined with the recent news of a boy being slashed over an argument involving Gears of War, brought video games under a negative light in the media yet again.
However, a report published on WebMD should help to restore some faith in video games (in case you lost it, that is). A recent study has revealed that video games help to improve cognitive abilities of elderly patients.
A total of 681 patients, aged 50 and above, participated in the study in which they were required to play a game called Road Tour, and identify vehicles in the game. After a year, the patients gained about three years worth of cognitive abilities. Amazing!
Intriguingly, these video game players were set up against crossword puzzle players and it was found that the video game players consistently scored better on concentration tests, task shifting, and information processing.
This isn’t the first time that video games have been used for treatments. They’ve previously been used to treat lazy eye condition and stroke victims. To see studies like these being published in the midst of all the bad news is very refreshing.