Kids are playing video games At least three hours a day perform better on tests of cognitive ability, including memory and impulse control, than their peers who have never played such electronic games, a new US study shows. scientific study.

researchersled by University of Vermont Associate Professor of Psychiatry Bader Tsaarani, who published a relevant publication in the American medical journal JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from almost 2,000 children aged 9 to 10 years. The study was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and other agencies of the US National Institutes of Health.

NIDA director Dr. Nora Wolkoff said: “The new study improves our understanding of the relationship between video game use and brain development. Numerous studies have linked video games to behavioral and mental health issues such as violence-aggression, depression, etc. But new research suggests that this form of entertainment may also have cognitive benefits that warrant further study.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children play video games no more than one to two hours a day. The new study, in the context of the broader Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, examined two groups of children using questionnaires, tests and brain imaging tests: one who did not play such games on a computer or mobile phone at all, and the one that played for more than three hours, i.e. over the recommended limit.

How video games affect memory

The tests assessed the children’s ability to control their impulsive behavior and retain information in memory. In both of these areas, children with more video game “experience” performed better in both speed and accuracy. In addition, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) showed that children who played a lot of video games had more intense activity in areas of the brain associated with memory and attention and, more generally, with the performance of complex cognitive tasks.

The researchers explained that their study found a correlation, rather than a proven causal relationship, between video games and improved cognitive skills. For example, it is possible that children with a priori higher cognitive abilities choose video games more often.

The scientists also stressed that their findings do not mean that children are allowed to spend unlimited time at a computer, mobile phone or TV screen, playing games. They also reported that not all video games are the same and that different types of games (action-adventure, puzzles, sports, shooting games, etc.) can have different effects on neurocognitive development, although this was not discussed in detail in the study. .

“While we cannot say whether playing video games actually resulted in superior neurocognitive performance, this is an encouraging finding that we should continue to study as children enter adolescence and then into adulthood. As many parents are concerned about the impact of video games on the health and development of their children, and as these games continue to be popular among young people, it is vital to better understand their positive and negative impacts,” said Dr. Tsaarani. .

^{Source: APE-MEB}