Can old video games make a young brain?

Maybe all of those youngsters are right: Video games aren’t so detrimental, after all. The New York Times recently reported on new research showing that old-style video games seem to help old brains act younger. It’s compelling evidence for those who’ve long suggested that video games can make us smarter.

Short-term and long-term gains

According to the story, a simple video game requiring players to swerve around cars and pick out road signs can improve the short-term memory and long-term focus of older adults. Astonishingly, the story says, some players as old as 80 began showing the same neurological patters of people in their 20s.

Carry over

Even more importantly, the story states that researchers discovered that the brain improvements did not take place only while players were involved in the video game. The improvements remained outside the game while study participants took part in other tasks.

Space Invaders for life?

So, it may be time for our older readers to crack out their long-abandoned copies of Pac-Man and Space Invaders. Anything that helps build a younger brain needs to be embraced. If it requires a few hours of shooting down aliens or gobbling dots to do it? That’s even better.