<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0WxonK_0wGJE0mh00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0WxonK_0wGJE0mh00" width="2048" height="1365" ></figure>“We conclude that exercise and video gaming have differential effects on the brain, which may help individuals tailor their lifestyle choices to promote mental and cognitive health, respectively, across the lifespan.” This conclusion comes from a preprint published on PsyArXiv. Science, health, and lifestyle reporters got even more bold with their conclusions. For instance, the Telegraph reported that “video games make your brain younger but exercise does not.”False Claims About “Effects”These researchers are taking their conclusions about the “effects” of video gaming on the brain beyond what their research can support. In fact, they point this out in discussing the limitation of their study:“While we observed significant associations between physical exercise and mental health and between video gaming and cognitive performance, it is not possible to say that this is a causative relationship based on the current data.”A Study of AssociationsThis was a careful study of associations of physical exercise and video gaming with cognitive brain function and mental health. It was conducted online, using self-reported data about physical activity levels and time spent with video games. The researchers found that spending time with video gaming had an association with better cognitive performance – short-term memory, verbal abilities, and reasoning skills. They found no such association for physical activity. However they did find an association of physical activity with better mental health with respect to anxiety and depression. Gaming had no relationship with these measures of mental health.Younger Brains?The bit about “making your brain younger” seems like even more of a stretch. The senior author on this paper, Adrian Owen, told the Telegraph:“People who frequently play video games, that is five or more hours per week for a single type of game, performed cognitively, on average, like people who were 13.7 years younger.”The promise of “younger brains” is problematic. The effects of aging on brains is not simple or linear. What Owen appears to be suggesting is prevention of declines in cognitive function for older persons. But this study does not document anything about brain function over time. It uses only a single measurement for each person in the study. Thus it tells us nothing about preventing cognitive decline. And it certainly tells us nothing about “making your brain younger.”Observational Research Without Peer ReviewOne of the main learnings we take from this paper and the reporting on it relates to the need for caution. Conclusions about “effects” are seldom wise to draw from observational research like this. Furthermore, a preprint like this has not undergone peer review – yet another reason for caution.So no, it is not safe to say that video games will do more to keep your brain young than exercise.Video Game Jam, illustration by David Revoy, licensed under CC BY 4.0Subscribe by email to follow the accumulating evidence and observations that shape our view of health, obesity, and policy.October 21, 2024</div></body>

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Video Gaming, Not Exercise, Makes Your Brain Younger?

“We conclude that exercise and video gaming have differential effects on the brain, which may help individuals tailor their lifestyle choices to promote mental and cognitive health, respectively, across the lifespan.” This conclusion comes from a preprint published on PsyArXiv. Science, health, and lifestyle reporters got even more bold with their conclusions. For instance, the Telegraph reported that “video games make your brain younger but exercise does not.”