Video games are good for you after all! I remember hearing all the time growing up that video games will rot your brain and have no benefit. No one can say that anymore!
A study found that playing immersive 3D video games, specifically Super Mario 3D World, led to improvements in hippocampal-based memory in older adults. The participants, aged 60-80, showed enhanced performance on the Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST), a measure of hippocampal function, after playing the video game for four weeks. These improvements persisted for up to four weeks after the intervention ended.
Here is the study: Enriching hippocampal memory function in older adults through video games
It is interesting to see a 3D world like Super Mario 3D was the game that caused the improvement in memory. You are walking around and remembering different places in this world. I know when I play and need to go somewhere, I see the place or person in my head then go in that direction.
You are using your spatial memory to play the game which the hippocampus deals with. I was always impressed with myself and others who could recall the location of a person, store, or event in a game even though we saw it one time. Now it all makes sense!
The same research team found improvements in young people as well so it would seem the immersive and 3D worlds help with this type of memory improvement. What are you waiting for??? Go play some awesome games such as Mass Effect!
