It looks like your mother had it all wrong.  Playing video games does not destroy your brain, in fact it can make your brain bigger and help to avoid Alzheimer’s.

This study was published December 6, 2017 and is titled Playing Super Mario 64 increases hippocampal grey matter in older adults.

Simple Summary

Older adults played Super Mario 64 for six months and the size of their hippocampus increased.

More Detail

Adults between the ages of 55 and 75 years of age “were randomized into three groups. The video game experimental group engaged in a 3D-platform video game training over a period of 6 months. Additionally, an active control group took a series of self-directed, computerized music (piano) lessons, while a no-contact control group did not engage in any intervention. After training, a within-subject increase in grey matter within the hippocampus was significant only in the VID training group, replicating results observed in younger adults.”  The Music group saw grey matter increases in the frontal lobe and no atrophy in the hippocampus.  The Control group brains atrophied over the six months.

Into The Weeds

A 2000 study on London Taxi Drivers showed that over the years-long training to learn the incredibly complex street system of London, the taxi drivers’ hippocampi increased in size.  The authors wanted to see if 3D-platform games would have any effect on the hippocampus given that such games require the use of spatial memory processes to build a cognitive map of in-game environments.

Three groups were randomized and divided into the Super Mario group, a Music group, and a Control group.  All participants were tested using MoCA and told that they would be tested again in six months and that their scores were expected to improve.  No group differences in grey matter at pre-test were found.

Super Mario.  The researchers hooked up a Wii system for participants in their homes and showed them the basics of how to turn it on and load the game.  Then they had them do the in-game tutorial.  Furthermore, ” the research assistant returned to the participant’s home for up to three additional supervised 2 hour training sessions to teach the participant how to properly maneuver the character and progress through the game. After this, participants were given a custom made instruction booklet which outlined how and where to collect all the stars for the first four levels. This allowed participants to learn the game’s mechanics in further detail and practice the basic motor coordination that was required. After this point, participants had to search for and obtain the stars within each remaining level without any assistance from the research team.”  I can only imagine how badly the research assistant needed a beer after some of those 2 hour sessions of training grandma how to execute a proper run+jump combination.

Music.  The second group learned music.  Synthesia software was added to participant’s home computer, and a MIDI piano was connected to the computer. Participants then completed “an introductory lesson that included introductory information about music, detailed instructions on how to use Synthesia, and directions on how to record their progress.”

The control group sat around for six months and waited to be retested.

The Super Mario group trained 72 hours on average.  The Music group trained 83 hours on average.

MoCA Results.  MoCA retesting showed a significant increase in the Super Mario group at post-training while no significant difference was observed in the Music or Control groups.

Brain Results.   The Super Mario group showed a significant increase in grey matter in the hippocampus and in the left cerebellum.  The Music group showed a significant increase in grey matter in the right DLPFC (prefrontal cortex) and the right cerebellum.

The Control group did not fare as well.  Their brains showed a significant decrease in grey matter within the hippocampus bilaterally, the cerebellum bilaterally and the right DLPFC.  The Super Mario and Music groups did not show any brain atrophy in the areas studied.

Final Thoughts

While the Super Mario group showed an increase in short-term memory performance and the MoCA at post-training.  Some of this correlation is likely skewed by the fact that the control group saw a decrease in grey matter.  With one group making a small improvement and another group a small decline you might not notice a change in either group, but when you compare the two groups the difference is much more noticeable.

The total number of participants in the study and in each group is small.

The Super Mario group had significant attrition during the study, indicating that the game may have been too difficult and/or frustrating.  Two participants completed all levels, which is more than I can say, and were set up with Super Mario Galaxy.

Neuroprotection and neurogenesis can be assisted by a number of activities, but sitting around watching television is not on the list.  Learning protects your grey matter and what you are learning effects where in the brain you will increase your grey matter.  Because  And yes mom, even video games can be beneficial.