CHICAGO, Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study has found that adolescents
who play violent video games may exhibit lingering effects on brain
function, including increased activity in the region of the brain that
governs emotional arousal and decreased activity in the brain's executive
function, which is associated with control, focus and concentration. The
findings were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological
Society of North America (RSNA).
"Our study suggests that playing a certain type of violent video game
may have different short-term effects on brain function than playing a
nonviolent -- but exciting -- game," said Vincent P. Mathews, M.D.,
professor of radiology at Indiana University School of Medicine in
Indianapolis.
Video games are big business with nearly $10 billion in sales in the
United States last year. But along with growing sales come growing concerns
about what effects these games may be having on the young people who play
them.
Dr. Mathews and colleagues randomly assigned 44 adolescents to play
either a violent video game or a nonviolent video game for 30 minutes. The
researchers then used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study
brain function during a series of tasks measuring inhibition and
concentration. One test used emotional stimuli and one did not.
fMRI measures the tiny metabolic changes that occur when a part of the
brain is active. These changes will appear as a brightly colored area on
the MR image, indicating the part of the brain that is being used to
process the task. The two groups did not differ in accuracy or reaction
time for the tasks, but analysis of the fMRI data showed differences in
brain activation.
Compared with the group that played the nonviolent game, the group that
played the violent video game demonstrated less activation in the
prefrontal portions of the brain, which are involved in inhibition,
concentration and self-control, and more activation in the amygdala, which
is involved in emotional arousal.
"During tasks requiring concentration and processing of emotional
stimuli, the adolescents who had played the violent video game showed
distinct differences in brain activation than the adolescents who played an
equally exciting and fun -- but nonviolent -- game," Dr. Mathews said.
"Because of random assignment, the most likely factor accounting for these
differences would be the group to which the volunteers were assigned."
The researchers hope to conduct additional research on long-term
effects of violent video game exposure and the impact of these brain
functioning differences.
"Additional investigation of the reasons for and effects of this
difference in brain functioning will be important targets for future study,
but the current study showed that a difference between the groups does
exist," Dr. Mathews said.
Co-authors are Yang Wang, M.D., Andrew J. Kalnin, M.D., Kristine M.
Mosier, D.M.D., Ph.D., David W. Dunn, M.D., and William G. Kronenberger,
Ph.D.
AT A GLANCE
-- Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to
compare the brain function of adolescents who had recently played a
violent video game and adolescents who had played an exciting,
nonviolent game.
-- Adolescents who play violent video games show decreased activity in
parts of the brain that control inhibition and increased activity in
areas of the brain that are associated with emotional arousal.
RSNA is an association of more than 40,000 radiologists, radiation
oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to
promoting excellence in radiology through education and by fostering
research, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care. The Society is
based in Oak Brook, Ill.
SOURCE Radiological Society of North America
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Related links:
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CONTACT:
RSNA Newsroom, +1-312-949-3233, or Before
11/25/06 or after 11/30/06, RSNA Media Relations,
+1-630-590-7762, or Maureen Morley of Radiological Society of
North America, +1-630-590-7754, or mmorley@rsna.org
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