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, revealed in a study.
The findings were presented 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.
Co-authors to the study 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.