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Violent Video Games Affect Cognitive Function and Emotional Control

Violent video games lower brain activity in regions associated with cognitive function and emotional control.

by Dr. Trupti Shirole on November 29, 2011 at 2:56 PM

Violent video games lower brain activity in regions associated with cognitive function and emotional control, according to researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine. These brain alterations can be seen after a mere week of playing.


Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe how playing video games might affect the brain. They found that those who played violent games showed less activity in the left inferior frontal lobe during emotional tasks and less activity in the anterior cingulate cortex during the cognitive test. This effect diminished after 2-weeks away from the violent gaming session.

Researchers believe that these changes could be long-term. However, they did not study whether these mental changes lead to physical violence.

Source: Medindia

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