There is ongoing concern that violent video games may adversely affect a person’s brain function and emotional stability. While the jury is still out, there is now evidence that at the very least, violent video games alter brain anatomy in a verifiable way. In particular, the frontal brain cortex, where higher cognitive function resides, appears to be involved.
A study from Indiana University recently looked at young adult men before and after a week of violent video game play. The men underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan before and after the week of game play. This study also looked at a control group that did not play the video game. They also repeated the scan a week after the gamers group stopped playing the video games.
The functional MRI scans of the brain changed in the group of young men that played the video game for about 10 hours, compared to the group that did not play the game. There was less activation in certain frontal brain regions associated with cognitive function and emotional control. After a week of not playing the video game, functional MRI brain images showed evidence of a return to baseline. The authors conclude that their findings indicate that violent video game play has a long-term effect upon brain functioning.
It is important to note that the author’s conclusion of a long-term effect is based on only two weeks of evaluation of only 22 people. Clearly, this study overall is too preliminary to make any long-term conclusions. Nevertheless, it is interesting and certainly curious.
Was violence a factor in the changes seen in the brain? We don’t know. This study did not look at gamers who played non-violent video games. It is therefore not possible to say whether or not the violent component was important, or if the changes seen were only due to generic gaming (including non-violent games).
REFERENCES
Wang Y et al. Violent Video Games Alter Brain Function in Young Men. [RSNA 2011 abstract]
Violent Games – Violent Children? (Video Game Series) [2011].