Study Links Video Games to a 13.7-Year Cognitive “Rejuvenation” — But There’s a Catch

Regular video game players perform as effectively on memory and logic tests as people nearly 14 years younger than their chronological age. That is the finding of neuroscientists at Western University in Canada, who analyzed the cognitive performance of nearly a thousand volunteers. However, flashy headlines claiming gaming literally “rejuvenates brain cells” distort the scientists’ conclusions: the researchers identified a strong correlation, not direct cause and effect.

Five Hours of Screen Time and Creyos Platform Tests

More than 2,600 people participated in the preliminary phase of the experiment, but after incomplete questionnaires were filtered out, the final dataset comprised 923 adult volunteers. Participants detailed their physical activity levels and gaming habits before completing a battery of 12 independent online Creyos tests assessing working memory, decision-making speed, verbal abilities, and spatial reasoning.

According to the paper published in the journal PLOS ONE, the test results revealed a distinct contrast:

• People who dedicated 5 or more hours per week to specific types of video games scored, on average, on par with participants 13.7 years younger;
• Casual gamers who played under 5 hours per week achieved results equivalent to a 5.2-year cognitive rejuvenation;
• The advantage was most pronounced in short-term memory and logical deduction tasks.

Meanwhile, the viral claim that the maximum benefit depends strictly on one’s “favorite genre” found no support in the paper: the determining factor was the consistency of gaming habits, not the respondents’ personal preferences.

Divided Benefits: Exercise for Depression, Games for Focus

The study also debunked another stereotype: video games do not reduce anxiety or depressive symptoms.

As noted in a press release from the Schulich School of Medicine, the experiment revealed a clear division of benefits:

• Gaming improved measures of intellect and hand-eye coordination, but had no effect on psycho-emotional well-being;
• Physical activity and exercise, on the other hand, effectively subdued symptoms of anxiety and stress, yet provided no visible advantage in logic tests.

The main limitation of the study is its cross-sectional design. Habits and cognitive ability were measured simultaneously, so researchers cannot rule out reverse causality: people with flexible minds and quick reaction times may simply be more inclined to choose interactive entertainment to begin with. Longitudinal studies will be required to confirm any therapeutic effect, but the research once again disproves the persistent myth that video games degrade cognitive performance.