Apart from generating fun and boosting coordination and reaction time , playing 3D video games can improve the formation of memories, according to the latest study developed by neurobiologists at the University of California at Irvine (USA) and which collects the The Journal of Neuroscience .
Apart from generating fun and boosting coordination and reaction time , playing 3D video games can improve the formation of memories, according to the latest study developed by neurobiologists at the University of California at Irvine (USA) and which collects the The Journal of Neuroscience .
The work demonstrates the incredible potential of virtual approaches in relation to people who lose their memory as they age or suffer from dementia. Thus, the scientists had the participation of non-gaming university students who were divided into two groups: the first group had to play a simple 2D game (“ Angry Birds ”); the second group to a game in a 3D environment (” Super Mario 3D World “). The experts asked the participants to play at least 30 minutes a day for two weeks.
Before starting the experiment, the researchers performed various memory tests emphasizing the hippocampus , the region of the brain associated with complex learning and memory, which decreases in effectiveness with age (hence, it is difficult for older people to remember where they have put the keys or remember new names).
The memory tests were performed again after the two weeks of the video game experiment. The results revealed that those volunteers who played video games in 3D improved their scores on memory tests , while those who played in 2D did not. According to expert analysis, memory performance increased by 12%.
“ It is quite possible that by explicitly avoiding a focus limited to a single cognitive domain and in parallel or closer to the natural experience , immersive video games may be better suited to provide enriching experiences that translate into functional gains ,” explains Craig Stark. , study leader.
