Study Finds Playing Action Video Games May Be Bad For Your Brain

rgMekanic

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A new study by an associate professor of psycology at the University of Montreal finds that action video games can cause a reduction of grey matter in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that plays a critical role in spatial memory and the ability to recollect past events and experiences. People with no gaming experience were first identified to if they were response learners, or spatial learners, each group favoring different parts of the brain for pathfinding. The spatial learners were then put into two groups, one played FPS games for 90 hours, the other played 3D platformers. While the FPS group showed a reduction in grey matter in the hippocampus, the 3D platformer group showed growth.

Interesting study, but it seems like quite a bit more research is needed. At this time I guess play some Mario to counteract your PUBG addiction. The article also says they used Call of Duty in the FPS group, so that may have accelerated brain atrophy right there.

The researchers expanded on their finding: "The problem is, the more they use the caudate nucleus, the less they use the hippocampus, and as a result the hippocampus loses cells and atrophies," adding that this could have "major implications" later in life.
 
The article also says they used Call of Duty in the FPS group, so that may have accelerated brain atrophy right there.

"We found that the area of the brain responsible for for determining what is a "fag" grows by 900%, overwhelming the tact center of the brain and causing a accelerated release of the neurotransmitter douchetocin"
 
So does the caudate nucleus grow? I mean, honestly, how can focus on the part you aren't using diminishing, without stating if the part you are using grows? Seems a little irresponsible.
 
"We found that the area of the brain responsible for for determining what is a "fag" grows by 900%, overwhelming the tact center of the brain and causing a accelerated release of the neurotransmitter douchetocin"

Don't forget the rampant, uncontrolled growth in the center that causes claims to have had sex with someones mother
 
Based on the last Call of Duty I played, how is it different than a Mario platformer...other than bullets?
 
Studies will find whatever they want to find. I keep a list of things the daily mail says will give you cancer.
dont you just love studies

AGE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-449783/Women-birth-age-30-double-risk-breast-cancer.html
AIR POLLUTION http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-358875/Pollution-cars-linked-child-cancer.html
AIR TRAVEL http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-200443/Frequent-fliers-raise-cancer-risk.html and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-591109/Cancer-risk-frequent-fliers.html
ALCOHOL http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-147083/Drink-day-increases-breast-cancer-risk.html and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-471910/Bowel-cancer-danger-just-glass-wine-day.html
ALLERGIES http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-324732/Child-allergies-raise-cancer-risk.html
ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-55023/Cancer-causing-chemicals-soy-sauce.html
ARTIFICIAL LIGHT http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-391267/Artificial-light-increases-breast-cancer-risk.html
ASBESTOS (as if it wasn’t bad enough already) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...l-pupils-warns-teacher-dying-lung-cancer.html
ASPARIN http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-205490/Asprin-link-cancer-risk.html
BABIES http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-157683/Birth-size-link-breast-cancer.html
BABY BOTTLES http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...ty-breast-cancer-miscarriage-infertility.html
BABY FOOD http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-199887/Baby-food-cancer-alert.html
BACON http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...used-bacon-ham-chicken-make-cancers-grow.html
BARBEQUES http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-326153/Australians-warned-backyard-cancer-risk.html
BEEF http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-393666/Alarm-beef-link-breast-cancer.html
BEER http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1161843/Just-pint-beer-day-raise-risk-prostate-cancer.html
BEING A BLACK PERSON http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1064547/Black-men-times-likely-prostate-cancer.html and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...reast-cancer-decades-earlier-white-women.html
BEING A WOMAN http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-63976/Cancer-risk-higher-women-smokers.html
BEING A MAN http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-306543/Men-twice-likely-die-cancer-women.html
BEING SOUTHERN http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...ent-women-South-likely-die-breast-cancer.html
BISCUITS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-126342/Cancer-foods-avoid.html
BLOWJOBS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-453843/Oral-sex-cause-throat-cancer.html
BRAS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-182370/Is-bra-bad-you.html
BREAD http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-411506/White-bread-increases-cancer-risk.html
BREAST FEEDING http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-178756/Whos-risk-breast-cancer.html
BREAST IMPLANTS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-41443/Breast-implants-cancer-scare.html
BROKEN HEARTS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-450049/How-heart-broken-grief-send-early-grave.html
BUBBLE BATH http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-403703/Is-bubble-bath-safe.html
BURGERS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...scare-food-colour-added-sausages-burgers.html
CAFFINE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...-New-evidence-caffeine-damage-babies-DNA.html
CALCUIM http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-blood-calcium-levels-say-US-researchers.html
CANNED FOOD http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-44676/Gender-bending-chemicals-tin-cans.html
CARBOHYDRATES http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-313227/Low-carb-diets-beat-breast-cancer.html
CARS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-358875/Pollution-cars-linked-child-cancer.html
CEREAL http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-115696/How-safe-favourite-foods.html
CHEESE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...mozzarella-production-toxin-fears-spread.html
CHICKEN http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-429303/Families-risk-toxic-imported-foods.html
CHILDLESSNESS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/columnists/article-474820/SUZANNE-MOORE-Im-sick-told-fault.html
CHILDREN http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...e-risk-having-family-according-new-study.html
CHILDREN’S FOODhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-201390/Health-warning-childrens-food.html
CHILLIS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-347287/Cancer-checks-spices-new-food-dyes-alert.html
CHINESE MEDICINE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-75547/Warming-cancer-risk-Chinese-medicines.html
CHIPS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-487571/Parents-told-chips-cause-cancer.html
CHLORINE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-431777/Chlorine-bathwater-linked-cancer.html
CHOCLATE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-386625/Cancer-fears-chocolate-snacks.html
CITY LIVING http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-496495/City-life-blamed-higher-risk-breast-cancer.html
CLIMATE CHANGE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...limate-mean-thousands-deaths-skin-cancer.html
COCA COLA http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-337178/Carrot-day-reduces-cancer-risk.html
COD LIVER OIL http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-379918/Cancer-fears-cod-liver-oil-capsules.html
COFFEE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3027/How-healthy-cup-coffee.html
CONSTAPATION http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-193698/Atkins-diet-cancer-risk.html
CONTRASEPTIVE PILLS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-181273/Cancer-risk-45-higher-Pill.html
COOKING http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-382571/Frying-increase-cancer-risk.html
CORDLESS PHONES http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...mobiles-home-phone-putting-health-danger.html
CRAYONS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6706/Safety-alert-best-selling-crayons.html
CURRY http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-342632/Cancer-dye-Grossman-curry-sauce.html
DEODRANT http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-205705/Deodorants-linked-cancer.html
DIETING http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-73056/Is-diet-lifestyle-putting-risk-breast-cancer.html
DOGS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...cal-theories-experts-claim-actually-true.html
EGGS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-50995/Cancer-chemicals-eggs.html
ELECTRICITY http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-449679/Power-lines-link-cancer-new-alert.html
ENGLISH BREAKFAST http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...lish-fry-raise-risk-bowel-cancer-63-cent.html
FACEBOOK http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1149207/How-using-Facebook-raise-risk-cancer.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4526354/Selfie-obsession-fuelling-skin-cancer.html
FALSE NAILS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1174768/Having-nails-skin-cancer-doctors-warn-women.html
FATHERHOOD http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...e-risk-having-family-according-new-study.html
FIBRE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4903/Fibre-cancer-risk-warning.html
FISH http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-117840/Fish-cancer-scare.html
FLIP FLOPS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1025915/Wearing-FLIP-FLOPS-skin-cancer-doctors-warn.html
FLY SPRAY http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...de-sprays-home-double-risk-brain-tumours.html
FRUIT http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-371260/Breast-cancer-drug-cuts-death-risk.html
GARDENS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-326153/Australians-warned-backyard-cancer-risk.html
GRAPEFRUIT http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...efruit-increase-breast-cancer-risk-third.html
HAIR DYE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1017259/How-using-hair-dye-increase-risk-cancer.html
HAM http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...-report-adds-bacon-ham-drink-danger-list.html
HEIGHT http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...rls-higher-risk-breast-cancer-says-study.html
HONEY http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-429303/Families-risk-toxic-imported-foods.html
HOT DRINKS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-115696/How-safe-favourite-foods.html
INSTAGRAM http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4526354/Selfie-obsession-fuelling-skin-cancer.html
INTERNET http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-312505/Cancer-patients-risk-websites.html
IVF http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-148228/How-IVF-raises-cancer-risks.html
KIDNEY TRANSPLATS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-459097/TV-prize-kidney-carries-risk-cancer.html
LAMB http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-446559/Red-meat-link-higher-risk-breast-cancer.html
LARGE HEADS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-370870/Big-headed-babies-prone-cancer.html
LEFT-HANDEDNESS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-363477/Left-handers-likely-breast-cancer.html
LIVER TRANSPLANTS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-207838/Cancer-liver-transplant-killed-husband.html
MENOPAUSE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...n-menopause-increases-breast-cancer-risk.html
MENSTRUATION http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-68946/Do-women-need-periods.html
METAL http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...aily-glass-wine-linked-cancer-Parkinsons.html
MILK http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-328863/Milk-linked-ovarian-cancer.html
MOBILE PHONES http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...obile-mast-tower-doom-cancer-rate-soared.html
MONEY http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...y-background-raise-risk-cancer-teenagers.html
MOUTHWASH http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...l-cancer-pulled-supermarkets-say-experts.html
NUCLEAR POWER (there is no hint of irony in this article) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-42066/New-study-links-nuclear-sites-cancer.html
OBESITY http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-245997/Obesity-raises-risk-cancer.html
OESTROGEN http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4098/Oestrogen-link-breast-cancer.html
PASTRY http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-115696/How-safe-favourite-foods.html
PEANUT BUTTER http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-brand-containing-cancer-causing-fungus.html
PERFUME http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...cented-creams-make-unborn-baby-infertile.html
PICKLES http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-115696/How-safe-favourite-foods.html
PIZZA http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-341698/New-food-dye-warning.html
PORK http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1093039/After-alert-Irish-pork-safe-beef.html
POTATOES http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-115037/Cancer-chemical-link-cooked-food.html
POVERTY http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/columnists/article-474820/SUZANNE-MOORE-Im-sick-told-fault.html
PREGNANCY http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-82458/Breast-cancer-risk-career-women.html
RADIOACTIVITY (again, just no irony whatsoever) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ried-bar-staff-served-facing-cancer-risk.html
RICE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-444222/Rice-tainted-arsenic-raises-risk-cancer.html
SAUSAGES http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...t-sausage-day-raises-cancer-risk-20-cent.html
SEX http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-191219/Did-sex-cancer.html
SHAVING http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-206459/Shaving-raise-cancer-risk.html
SKIING http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-206243/Skiers-warned-cancer-risk.html
SOUP http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1132814/Salty-soups-increase-cancer-risk-says-expert.html
SPACE TRAVEL http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ncer--premature-ageing--travelling-space.html
SUN CREAM http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-592076/Cancer-fear-childrens-sun-creams.html
TALCUM POWDER http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1063040/Cancer-alert-talc-Women-using-powder-day-risk.html
TEA http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-87131/Too-tea-treble-cancer-risk-women.html
VITAMINS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-320006/Vitamin-pills-cause-early-deaths.html
WATER http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13620/Cancer-link-tap-water-radon-hotspots.html
WI-FI http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-456534/The-classroom-cancer-risk-wi-fi-internet.html
WOSTERSHIRE SAUCE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-338899/Dye-alert-spreads-school-meals.html
WORKING http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1031934/Why-men-desk-jobs-higher-risk-prostate-cancer.html
X-RAYS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-207035/X-rays-bring-risk-cancer.html
 
It's actually FPS players learning new maps and forgetting old maps. I could draw you all the battlefield 4 maps but I couldn't remember a battlefield 2 map to save my life.
 
I wonder if my consumption of Blue Diesel and a good bourbon counter the damage done.
 
Look at all the knee-jerk reactions! When it comes to scientific studies, always read the article instead of just the overly simplified title. From the article:

"West pointed to the inclusion of GPS and way-finding markers in many current action games as examples of potentially problematic features.

"These type of markers, we hypothesize, encourage people to ignore landmarks and follow routes that recruit and rely on the brain's rewards system," he said."

The real assertion here is games you navigate by mindlessly following a magic arrow to your goal don't engage your brain in the same way as games requiring you to navigate through a virtual world by using landmarks and remembering the layout of spacial elements.
What they fail to recognize is the genre of game should have less effect than how navigation is handled in the game. A FPS like Far Cry 2 should have similar effects to Mario 64, and any platformer with follow the arrow navigation should be the same as Borderlands 2 or the other FPS they chose.
 
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Yeah and one day eggs are good for you and the next they are not . . . .rinse, wash, repeat with this crap.

I only pay attention on the days where they're found to be good for you. Same with most other things. Then I eat, play, and experience all the things I like a lot more, stress out about it less, and live longer with less disease from the lack of added stress.
 
few things in life like a group that needs to come out with something just to get or keep a grant
 
What the study really found is you just need to broaden what you do. If all you do is one thing (and kept it very specific ie: one game) you probably won't have very high cognitive ability. If you spread it around, do more than one activity you can improve brain function and force the brain to reinforce the areas that you are constantly using as a result of more activities.

So that means coffee, coconut oil, and now FPS are the new egg...

except coconut was never good for you, some jackass published a fake document on coconut claiming it was anything other than 90% saturated fat and made a truck load on it. Actual dieticians never recommended using it.

 
What the study really found is you just need to broaden what you do. If all you do is one thing (and kept it very specific ie: one game) you probably won't have very high cognitive ability. If you spread it around, do more than one activity you can improve brain function and force the brain to reinforce the areas that you are constantly using as a result of more activities.



except coconut was never good for you, some jackass published a fake document on coconut claiming it was anything other than 90% saturated fat and made a truck load on it. Actual dieticians never recommended using it.


Never knew about him before-totally Awesome!
 
Look at all the knee-jerk reactions! When it comes to scientific studies, always read the article instead of just the overly simplified title. From the article:

"West pointed to the inclusion of GPS and way-finding markers in many current action games as examples of potentially problematic features.

"These type of markers, we hypothesize, encourage people to ignore landmarks and follow routes that recruit and rely on the brain's rewards system," he said."

The real assertion here is games you navigate by mindlessly following a magic arrow to your goal don't engage your brain in the same way as games requiring you to navigate through a virtual world by using landmarks and remembering the layout of spacial elements.
What they fail to recognize is the genre of game should have less effect than how navigation is handled in the game. A FPS like Far Cry 2 should have similar effects to Mario 64, and any platformer with follow the arrow navigation should be the same as Borderlands 2 or the other FPS they chose.
So bad gameplay is bad for you. Who knew?
 
Study finds that stupid studies are bad for your brain, give you cancer, makes you die 10 seconds eariler, vomit acid, and be a dunce.

Who would have thought that doing an activity that requires acute spatial awareness stresses the part of the brain responsible for that very thing. We needed to study this. Now I'll go and study if giving blood actually reduces blood cells in my body or not.
 
LMAO...what people won't waste money on "researching". For all we know is that the "associate professor" is a hardcore gamer and was handed this assignment to "prove" that video games "harm your brain". So he and his buddies played games for 90 hours on behalf of the "research". Now he gets paid to do the "study" AND play his favorite FPS and 3D platformer with his pals.
 
I wonder how many times the news has flipped back and forth on beer, coffee and wine.
 
I wonder how many times the news has flipped back and forth on beer, coffee and wine.
Given we have about 4 real journalists left int he WORLD. I'd say about as many times as public opion thinks which thing is socially acceptable... then "report" the other is "big ugly mean bad and nasty" to get clicks.
 
Hippie nonsense. Just filter your air through a cigarette like I do and you'll be fine.
you have to breath your air through a sticker that has carbon nano tubes in order to not get cancer first.

this is common knowledge.
 
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