Mario 64 Research Shows Video Game Helps Develop Brain

That Super Mario 64 is one of the most incredible titles in the Italian-American plumber's long saga, everyone already knows. But there is one more achievement for the Nintendo 64 game released in 1996: it was used in research that showed how healthy video game play can be for brain development.

According to the results obtained by scientists, electronic gambling can develop functions such as space navigation, strategic planning, memory and motor skills. The study was conducted by a partnership between the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Charité University Medicine St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus of Germany.

According to research, playing video games stimulates some areas of the brain responsible for the functions described above, such as the right hippocampus, the right prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum. Individuals who participated in the test played at least half an hour daily of Super Mario 64 over a two-month period.

Trained brain and disease fighting

“While previous studies have shown differences in the brain structure of gamers, the present study can demonstrate the direct link between video game play and a volumetric brain augmentation. This proves that specific brain regions can be trained through video games, ”says Simone Kuhn, who led the research.

According to the researchers, the results also indicate that playing video games may help treat people with diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, which causes the brain to shrink. That's a good point for when your parents tell you to stop gambling.

Via BJ