Video games are usually not something you hear often when it comes to helping you improve your brain functions but recently scientist has found that games like Super Mario can improve brain capacity and even forestall dementia.
According to researchers, extended periods of video gaming in the 3D genre is said to increase the grey matter within the hippocampus of the brain, which is the part of the brain that lets you learn new skills, and this is due to the spatial memory processes required to build a proper map of in-game environments.
The study was conducted at the University of Montreal, whereby results has shown that young individuals who had played the 1996 Super Mario 64 within a span of two months had managed to increase spatial and episodic memory compared to those who played on the 2D variant. Scientists are only now beginning to understand the link between training the hippocampus region.
Greg West, an associate professor at the University of Montreal, said he hoped that video game training could be applied to help prevent people developing degenerative conditions such as dementia.
Source: Telegraph