London - Brain-training computer games can improve children’s grades within weeks, scientists have found.
A study showed that video puzzles designed to exercise a child’s “working memory” boosted reasoning and problem-solving skills for three months.
The findings are the latest to show that giving the grey matter a daily workout sharpens wits and intelligence.
Brain-training videogames have been heavily promoted by computer company Nintendo in the past few years as a way of stimulating the mind and improving IQ.
However, some studies have challenged whether the games – which test memory, recall and mental problem-solving – do any good.
The new research, by psychologists at the University of Michigan, tested the effects of brain training on 62 schoolchildren with an average age of eight.
Half the children were given a daily 15-minute workout using videogames that tested working memory – the brain’s ability to “hold” information while it solves a problem.
Examples of working memory in action range from following a teacher’s instructions to drawing on past experience to answer questions at job interviews.
The other children used the time to test general knowledge and vocabulary.
Three months after the training, the children given the brain training did better on tests of abstract reasoning and problem solving. – Daily Mail