Contrary to the longstanding stereotype of video games as purely recreational or even detrimental to cognitive health, recent research from Western University in Canada suggests that certain gaming habits may actually be linked with enhanced cognitive performance.
This article explores the findings of the “Brain and Body” study conducted by Western University’s neuroscientists, unpacks how gaming appears to influence cognition, and considers practical implications and caveats for those interested in cognitive health.
The Study
The Brain and Body study, a collaboration between Western University and the Science and Industry Museum (in the UK) as part of the Manchester Science Festival, recruited more than 2,000 global participants.
Each participant completed a lifestyle survey including gaming and exercise habits, then took an online cognitive test battery (via Creyos) measuring memory, attention, reasoning and verbal abilities.
Of those, approximately 1,000 finished all tasks and provided data that allowed the researchers to compare cognitive performance to lifestyle factors.
According to the study, participants who played video games for five or more hours per week for a single type of game performed cognitively, on average, like people who were 13.7 years younger.
In contrast, those who played infrequently (less than five hours per week across all game types) performed like people about 5.2 years younger.
In parallel, the study found that physical exercise (more than 150 minutes per week, in line with World Health Organization guidelines) was associated with improved mental well-being (e.g., lower symptoms of depression and anxiety) but not with improved cognition.
How Gaming May Boost Cognitive Performance
The study’s results suggest that gaming may tap into cognitive processes such as memory, attention and reasoning in ways that translate into measurable performance advantages.
In the test battery used by the researchers, participants completed tasks related to verbal ability, reaction time, spatial reasoning and other cognitive domains.
By comparing results to normative data (i.e., expected scores by age), the researchers found that frequent gamers demonstrated a cognitive profile akin to being approximately 13.7 years younger on average.
One plausible explanation is that engaging in video game play requires rapid processing of visual information, divided attention, decision-making under conditions of uncertainty.
Not only that, it also requires switching between tasks, and memory retrieval—all of which are cognitive functions that support performance on standard tests.
Over time, frequent use of those functions may strengthen them, or at least maintain them at a higher level, which could manifest as “younger” cognitive age in test results.
The Western University research team suggests that such lifestyle-cognition associations could “help all of us choose activities that promote healthy cognitive ageing.”
Practical Takeaways
For individuals interested in maintaining or improving cognitive performance, the Western University findings suggest that moderate amounts of video game playing might contribute positively to cognitive health.
A key takeaway is that playing for five or more hours per week of a single type of game correlated with the strongest effect seen in this study.
However, it is important to emphasize that these are correlations, not proof of causation. In other words, while gamers in this study performed better than those who played less, the study does not definitively show that gaming caused the cognitive benefits.
Another practical point is that while gaming appeared beneficial for cognition, it was not associated with improvements in mental health according to this study.
Meanwhile, physical exercise was beneficial for mental health, but not for cognition. Thus, a well-rounded lifestyle—video gaming for cognitive benefit, exercise for mental-well-being—may be the most balanced approach.
Caveats and Considerations
While the results are intriguing, several caveats must be kept in mind. First, the study relies on self-reported lifestyle surveys and online cognitive games rather than in-person neuropsychological testing; thus, there may be biases or limitations in measurement.
Second, the sample may include self-selection bias: individuals who choose to play video games frequently may differ in other ways (e.g., baseline cognitive ability, motivation, education) that also influence test outcomes.
The authors note that the differences in cognition might reflect lifestyle associations rather than cause-effect relationships.
Moreover, the study emphasizes association rather than direct experimental manipulation; for definitive proof of causation, longitudinal or interventional studies would be required.
Lastly, the type of games matters: this study grouped video game play broadly, but differences between game genres (strategy, action, puzzle, simulation) and their cognitive demands are not fully differentiated in the published summary.
