Playing Video Games May Improve Healthby, aquatsr
Common perceptions of video games are that they waste time, contribute to laziness, and in extreme cases, result in aggressive or extreme behavior. However, new studies conducted in universities and businesses around the world suggest that gaming has a definitive beneficial side as well.
Improved VisionResearchers at Nottingham University found that playing action games could improve vision in patients who suffer from Amblyopia, also known as "lazy eye." Individuals who suffer from this have reduced vision in one eye compared to the other. Traditional treatments for such a condition involve placing an eye patch over the good eye. Researchers found that if patients instead played certain action-packed video games that their improvement measured the same as wearing an eye patch for
400 hours.
Similarly, scientists at the University of Rochester found that people who play first person shooters improve their visual abilities by advancing the brains ability to spread attention over a wide range of events.
Improved BalanceParkinson's disease is a disorder associated with the central nervous system that results in loss of mobility, motor skills, speech, and other critical functions. Researchers at the University of Ottowa tested the Nintendo Wii Fit and Wii Sports games for intervals of 15 and 30 minutes and found that Parkinson's patients significantly improved their "static" balance. Researchers suggested that consoles like the Nintendo Wii may slow down the decline of functions lost to disabilities.
At the Medical College of Georgia, Dr. Nathan Ben Herz also noted improvement in participants that practiced on the Wii. Dr. Herz suggested that this may be due to increased levels of the chemical dopamine from increased exercise.
CoordinationAt Iowa State University, surgeons who played video games for at least three hours a week reduced mistakes in "minimally invasive" surgical procedures. Along with improved hand-eye coordination and an increase in motor skills, playing video games helped doctors perform routine tasks faster than those who did not play any. As a result of the study, a video game was designed to help trainee surgeons "warm up" before entering the operating room.
Brain EnhancementRemember Tetris? As one of the oldest and most popular video games, Tetris has been a multi-generational classic. Not only is Tetris fun and challenging, but it can make you smarter as well, theoretically. Researchers from the Mind Research Network in Albuquerque tested 26 girls who played Tetris for 30 minutes a day over a three-month period. Compared to girls who didn't play, those who did developed a thicker cortex, the part of the brain scientists believe plays a role in "planning complex coordinated movements and coordinating visual, tactile and auditory information.
Increase and Maintain FitnessDance Dance Revolution and
In the Groove are two games that get players off the couch and moving on the game mat. Similarly, the Wii Balance Board lets individuals measure their weight, improve their balance and enjoy surfing, skating, skiing, and boxing. As these consoles and games make exercise less of a bore and more fun, they're being incorporated into North American circuit programs at fitness centers.
Sources:
cnnwikipedia
