New Study Finds Improvement in Cognitive
Function Through Casual Video Games
East Carolina University Psychophysiology Department Unveils
Preliminary Findings at Games For Health Conference Today
SEATTLE/PRNewswire/ -- PopCap Games, the worldwide leader in
casual video games, today announced that preliminary results of a new
study being conducted by East Carolina University's Psychophysiology Lab
have identified improvements in cognitive function through the playing
of "casual" video games such as Bejeweled® and Peggle(TM). (PopCap
Games, maker of the aforementioned games used in the study, did not
underwrite the study.) The study, which has been underway for nearly six
months and will be completed later this year, involves dozens of U.S.
consumers age 50 and older, and explores the effects of the games on
subjects' short-term cognitive acuity. In each instance, sizable
improvements were identified in the performance of the experimental
group as compared to the control group.
Dr. Carmen Russoniello, Director of the Psychophysiology Lab and
Biofeedback Clinic at ECU, is presenting initial data and analysis from
the study today at the 6th annual Games for Health Conference in Boston.
Full study results will be submitted this fall for publication in the
peer-reviewed journal Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.
"The initial results of the study are very intriguing, in that they
suggest that the 'active participation' required while playing a casual
video game like Bejeweled provides an opportunity for mental exercise
that more passive activities, like watching television, do not," said
Russoniello. "Future applications could include prescriptive
applications using casual video games to potentially stave off
Alzheimer's disease and other dementia-type disorders."
More than 40 test subjects have participated in the study so far,
with dozens more being included by the study's completion. Measurements
were achieved through tracking of Electroencephalography (EEG) brain
waves as well as subjects' participation in the standardized Trail
Making Test(TM) parts A and B. Both cognitive response time (the speed
with which a subject completes a task) and executive function (the
frequency of correctly completing parts of the task) were tracked. Those
subjects who played Bejeweled or Peggle for short (30 minute) periods
showed an 87% improvement in cognitive response time and a 215% increase
in executive functioning when compared to a control group. According to
ECU, these improvements in overall cognitive acuity are comparable to
changes recorded after other types of cognitive interventions such as
mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and cognitive remediation therapy.
"Video games with more complex rules and controls, and more
sophisticated or detailed imagery -- so-called 'hardcore' video games --
might provide similar cognitive benefits for many people," said
Russoniello. "But those games take significantly longer to learn to play
and appeal to a considerably narrower subset of the overall population,
especially older consumers. In our experience, 'casual' video games are
ideal both in terms of their accessibility and ease of understanding
and because they appeal to nearly everyone."
About PopCap
PopCap Games (www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider
of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal
to everyone from age 6 to 106 and are available anytime, anywhere.
Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a
worldwide staff of more than 275 people in Seattle, San Francisco,
Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Seoul, and Shanghai. Its games have
been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its
flagship title, Bejeweled, has sold more than 50 million units across
all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap's
games are played on the Web, social platforms, desktop computers, myriad
mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod,
iPhone, iPad and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox and DS), and
in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap has been one of the most
innovative companies in the video industry since its inception a decade
ago. Pioneering new game mechanics, sales models, and platforms ranging
from mobile devices to online and location-based games of chance, PopCap
is the only video game provider in the world with leading market share
across the entire spectrum.
The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are listed
at www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its
licensors and may be registered in some countries. Other company and
product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners
and are used for the benefit of those owners.
Source: PopCap Games
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