3D Games Can Improve Memory: Study

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It turns out that playing video games can also have its own share of benefits, according to a new study.

The study, which appeared in the Journal of Neuroscience, was conducted by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, led by Craig Stark and Dane Clemenson, as reported in LifeHacker.

The study found that those who play 3D video games are more likely to score better in memory tests compared to those who play 2D games or those who don't play games at all.

To arrive at their findings, researchers enlisted 69 participants between the ages of 18 and 22 years old, who are novice gamers and claimed to not having any experience to playing games.

Specifically, one group was required to play the 2D game "Angry Birds;" while another group was tasked to play "Super Mario 3D World" and the third group didn't play any games. Reuters reported that the players were asked to dedicate 30 minutes of their time every day for ten days.

In the course of the study period, the participants were given memory tests before and after the study. The tests conducted were aimed to stimulate the hippocampus or the brain region which is involved in memory and learning.

To assess their memory skills, the participants were handed out pictures of various objects and a new set of pictures that are slightly different from the first one will be handed after.

The study then revealed that the 3D game players had improved their memory by 12 percent, which is about the same percentage that memory declines when a person reaches 45 to 70 years old.

Stark explained that there are some elements in 3D games that are not present in the 2D games. The former is more complex and provides more information that a person needs to learn from. Given that, the 3D games did not only stimulate the brain region involved but it also needs it to function.

While 3D games may have shown benefit in memory skills based on this latest study, there are limitations and it doesn't mean that gamers need to play all day long.

Dr. Adam Gazzaley, a University of California, San Francisco neurology researcher, said that if such tests were performed among older players, it won't give similar results as in the young players.

Gazzaley, who wasn't involved in the study, also noted that those who are not experienced in playing games may also not yield similar results as those who are tested video gamers.