In a study of 40 adults in their 60s and 70s, researchers found that those who learned to play a strategy-heavy video game improved their scores on a number of tests of cognitive function.
Men and women who trained in the game for about a month showed gains in tests of memory, reasoning and the ability to "multi-task".
The findings suggest that video games that keep players "on their toes" might help older adults keep their brains sharp, the researchers report in the journal Psychology And Aging.
This is the first published study to suggest as much, so it's important not to overstate the findings, said senior researcher Dr Arthur F. Kramer, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
However he said the results were "very promising", as they suggested that strategy-based video games could enhance reasoning, memory and other cognitive abilities that often decline with age.
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Over 1 month, the gamer group spent about 23 hours training in "Rise of Nations", an off-the-shelf video game where players seek world domination.
Ruling the world, the game group learned, requires a complex set of tasks, including military strategy, building cities, managing economies and feeding people.
Study participants who trained in the game ended up improving their scores in several areas of a battery of cognitive tests, Dr Kramer and his colleagues found.
More research was needed to confirm and extend the findings, Dr Kramer said.
It was not clear, he noted, if other strategic games would have the same benefits, or if the effects seen in this study would persist over time.
The findings are in line with research suggesting that older adults can improve their cognitive health by staying both physically active and mentally active through activities such as reading, writing or other hobbies.
"Playing video games with their grandkids would also be a great idea," Dr Kramer said.
"Because we know that social interactions – along with physical exercise and intellectual challenge – also enhance the cognitive abilities of older adults."
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