Games and almost anything related to games usually would get a bad reputation, especially in terms of mental health. This much was seen in the proposed "gaming disorder," which is being reviewed by the World Health Organization. However, recent scientific studies have shown that there are games like "Super Mario 64" that help improve mental health.
A Canadian study published a few weeks ago on the PLOS One journals website suggested that playing "Super Mario 64" can help increase hippocampal grey matter in the brain. Although the hippocampal area of the brain is not usually associated with learning and mental health, it has proved to be an effective biomarker for mental illnesses like Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease.
"We know from a large body of previous research that people with more grey matter in their hippocampus are less at risk of developing certain neuropsychiatric illnesses," said lead researcher Greg West, as per Gizmodo.
The study, however, was only done to elderly people aged 55 to 75. The experimental group was asked to play the game for six months, five times a week, for at least 30 minutes a day. The methodology, like any other experiment, was focused on comparing that group of people to two other control groups. One group regularly played the piano, while the others were just regular people who did neither.
They had their brain scanned both before and after the six-month duration. Needless to say, both the piano group and the experimental game group had increased gray matter in their brain, although not in the same areas, compared to the group who did neither. Those who played the game had their gray matter present in their hippocampus and cerebellum, which help in memories and coordination, respectively.
True enough, when the group was asked to take the same short-memory test from six months before, they did a lot better. However, there are still a lot of limitations to the study. It is unsure whether it would be the same effect for younger audiences or for other games.
Nevertheless, the study helps prove that games do not necessarily pose a threat to health.
