Study shows gaming may increase brain's gray matter

AUSTRALIA — Good news for all gamers out there!

New research indicates gaming could help people improve their cognitive abilities and even increase gray matter.

Researchers from the Chinese University of Electronic Science and Technology and Australia's Macquarie University have found correlations between playing action video games and increased gray matter volume and brain connectivity.

According to the study published in the journal Nature, the researchers used MRI scans to study the brains of 27 regular video game players described as 'action video game experts' and 30 amateur participants.

The team focused on studying the insular cortex, a brain region located within the folds of the brain's cortex.

According to a paper published in the journal Cell, the insular cortex receives input from different areas of the brain, acting as a hub that links brain regions.

The insular cortex also manages sensory, emotional, motivational and cognitive functions such as decision making, empathy and self-awareness.

Results from the study showed that the 'action video game experts' had superior functional brain connectivity as well as increased gray matter volume in insular subregions.

This could be due to the coordination between attention and sensorimotor functions used during an average action video game where players complete roughly 150 sensorimotor responses per minute using the keyboard and mouse.

The expert gamers studied in the research had at least six years of professional gaming experience and were recognized champions in regional and national championships of multiplayer online battle video games.

So if anyone tries to judge you for gaming too hard, just show them this video.