FPS Games Linked to Reduction of Grey Matter

Bad news for all those FPS gamers out there, a recent study suggests a "statistically significant" link between the loss of grey matter in the hippocampus and exposure to FPS and action games.

Led by Prof. Gregory West at Université de Montréal, the recently published neuroimaging study "is the first to find conclusive evidence of grey matter loss in a key part of the brain as a direct result of computer interaction".

"A few studies have been published that show video games could have a positive impact on the brain, namely positive associations between action video games, first-person shooter games, and visual attention and motor control skills...

To date, no one has shown that human-computer interactions could have negative impacts on the brain — in this case the hippocampal memory system."

In the study, those that the researchers deemed as "response learners" showed a significant reduction of grey matter in the hippocampus, as opposed to players who favoured spatial memory strategies in game.

Conducted on healthy 18-35 year olds with no prior history of gaming, the study found that after 90 hours of playing FPS games (Call of Duty, Killzone, Medal of Honour and Borderlands 2), "the brain scans of response learners showed statistically significant grey matter loss in the hippocampus".

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that primarily responsible for spatial memory functions as well as long term memory and past recollections. However "response learners" rely more heavily on the caudate nucleus, the part of brain that affects muscle memory, habit formation and stimuli conditioning.

The researchers expanded on their findings, "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 study says 85 per cent of gamers who play six or more hours a week have been shown to rely more heavily on this brain structure to find their way in a game.

Prof. West does caution against these findings however, as the study does not weigh in on the long-term impacts of playing FPS and action games, and that correlation does not indicate any causation of mental deficiencies and disorders.

On the upside, the same study has found that playing 3D platformers helped create the formation of grey matter in the hippocampus.

All participants playing 3D platform games, such as Super Mario 64, showed growth in the hippocampus after the experiment, regardless of whether they were response learners or spatial learners. This result suggests that 3D platform games could be used as a kind of antidote to the negative effect of action games on hippocampal grey matter in response learners.

"It's certainly possible that someone could pick up a 3D platform game and train their brain to grow that grey matter back," West said.

This is definitely some good news for hardcore FPS gamers. So get ready to dust off that old N64 controller, and spend some quality time with Super Mario 64 to bring that grey matter back.