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It is no big surprise that things begin to retard as we age; motor skills, physical capabilities, other various bodily functions, etc. However, promising research suggests that videogames help the mind and body stay sharp. With the Nintendo Wii and DS flooding retirement communities and high school level physical education programs, along with a bevy of brain training games that allow greater access to gaming, the videogame industry as a whole has undoubtedly gone mainstream. The stereotype that videogames are immature and a waste of time has now been discarded and replaced with the thought that they can now benefit the user in more ways than just providing an  entertaining and stimulating expierence.

A limited study was conducted between adults in their 60s and 70s in relation to cognitive functions. The test group was taught to play the real time strategy game “Rise of Nations” and after only a one month period, improved original test scores in memory, reasoning and multitasking.

While more research is to be planned, senior researcher Dr. Arthur F. Kramer, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign states stated, “This is the first published study to suggest as much, so it’s important not to overstate the findings.”

For future studies more types of strategic games have been mapped out.

We want to hear what you think. Do you think that videogames have increased your cognative thinking process and improved your hand-eye coordination, or are they just a leisurely pastime?

[Reuters]