Violent Games Influence the Brain for Up to Week

In a study conducted using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), investigators were able to determine that playing violent video games changes neural activity in certain areas of the brain for up to a week after the initial measurement was made.

The brains of young adults exhibited modified activity patterns in regions that usually handle aspects such as cognitive functions and emotional control. The effects could also be measured two weeks after exposure to the games, but to a much lesser extent.

“A sample of randomly assigned young adults showed less activation in certain frontal brain regions following a week of playing violent video games at home. These brain regions are important for controlling emotion and aggressive behavior,” expert Yang Wang, MD, says, quoted by PsychCentral.

The left inferior frontal lobe and the anterior cingulate cortex were found to be the areas most affected by violent video games. However, these are considered to be only preliminary results, since the study sample was small. Larger investigations on this issue are planned to take place soon.