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Correlation Found Between Brain Structure and Video Game Success

Posted by Soulskill on from the correlation-does-not-equal-yadda-yadda dept.

kghapa writes "Still want to argue that video games shrink your brain? While video games have been previously shown to stimulate brain activity and improve coordination skills, a recently published study has directly linked structures in the human brain with video game aptitude. And yes, apparently size does matter in this case. Quoting: '... each subject received 20 hours of training to play a video game specifically created for research purposes, called Space Fortress. It's basically an Asteroids-type arcade game, in which the object is to knock down and destroy an enemy fortress while dodging space mines. However, the game has lots of extra twists that require close attention. Some of the players were told to focus exclusively on running up a high score, while others were told to shift their priorities between several goals. The result? The subjects who had more volume in an area called the nucleus accumbens did significantly better in the early stages of training. Meanwhile, those who were well-endowed in different areas of the striatum, known as the caudate nucleus and putamen, handled the shifting strategies better.'"

17 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. More developed specialized area of the brain... by sznupi · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...contributing to statistically greater success in tasks which might benefit from its function.

    News at 11.

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    One that hath name thou can not otter
    1. Re:More developed specialized area of the brain... by Shadow+of+Eternity · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yes but knowing which specialised area does what is why this is so interesting, there's vast portions of the brain that we can look at and say "Basically responsible for this general area" and have to leave it at that. To be able to point right at a relatively small chunk and say "This does THAT" is a pretty big deal.

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      A bullet may have your name on it but splash damage is addressed "To whom it may concern."
    2. Re:More developed specialized area of the brain... by __aasqbs9791 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Maybe that's my problem! Most of my brain is highly specialized for something that doesn't yet exist!

    3. Re:More developed specialized area of the brain... by baKanale · · Score: 3, Funny

      Perhaps that's why we use only 10% of our brain. The other 90% is waiting for us to make a video game it's good at.

    4. Re:More developed specialized area of the brain... by syousef · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe that's my problem! Most of my brain is highly specialized for something that doesn't yet exist!

      Hate to break it to you, but sex really does exist.

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      These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
    5. Re:More developed specialized area of the brain... by imakemusic · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Except that the 10% thing is a fallacy. As I understand it (IANAN), you only use 10% of your brain at any one time. Which makes sense. I mean, when I'm trying to get out of the way of a car - I want to be recalling how to run - I don't want to be recalling the cake I had at my 5th birthday party.

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      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    6. Re:More developed specialized area of the brain... by Ceriel+Nosforit · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's not a fallacy. It's a plain falsehood.

      Arguably fallacy is a really nice word to use, but it's still not appropriate in this case.

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      All rites reversed 2010
    7. Re:More developed specialized area of the brain... by MrTree · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Not quite - it's a complete fallacy:

      http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/10percent.asp

    8. Re:More developed specialized area of the brain... by imakemusic · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, I've just learnt something.

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      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
  2. Re:Correlation by swanzilla · · Score: 3, Funny

    up up down down left right left right b a start

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    0 = 1 + e^(Alt something)
  3. Freud by JustOK · · Score: 3, Funny

    Somehow, the motherboard is a significant factor. And sometimes a joystick is just a joystick.

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    rewriting history since 2109
  4. Re:Correlation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm waiting for a correlation between those who 'get laid' with the implication that that means "sex is all I care about" to those who actually have dynamic lives above the reptilian brain stem...

  5. Re:Correlation by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 2, Interesting

    up up down down left right left right b a start

    That's what *she* said!

    There was a Murphy Brown episode where Murphy was barking instructions at a person running a video editing machine.
    Murphy: "Faster... slower... go back!"
    Guy: "You sound just like my wife."
    Murphy: "Oh, just hurry up and get it over with!"
    Guy: "Uncanny..."

  6. I want to play! by nilbog · · Score: 2, Informative

    I thought the game sounded like fun so I looked it up. You can find it here: http://cogworks.cogsci.rpi.edu/?view=modules.research.spec&id=74 The page is down, so you may need to check the Google Cache. It does not appear to be available to the general public.

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    or else!
    1. Re:I want to play! by Zerth · · Score: 2, Informative

      I was actually in a study using this game, and it didn't seem very asteroids like to me, other than having vector style graphics.

      The controls involved both a joystick in one hand, a mouse in the other, and car-style pedals. One phase had you alternately pumping the foot switches at a specific tempo for long stretches of time(as a measure of concentration) and I had just done a long distance bike trip that morning. God, my legs hurt just thinking about it.

      It was OK for a few days, but after I overflowed the score, it got a bit boring except for the challenge of using a joystick and mouse at the same time.

    2. Re:I want to play! by gwern · · Score: 3, Informative

      Oh ye of little research ability: http://groups.google.com/group/brain-training/browse_thread/thread/458a2f4c212e86fb/954ef9456f6e7aca%5C

  7. Re:Err... phallic? by Abstrackt · · Score: 2, Funny

    size does matter those who were well-endowed What an incredibly phallic story.

    Yeah, the researchers were dicks.

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    They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett