Study affirms that video games improve multitasking of elderly people in Japan

A study carried out in Japan showed that video games can improve the cognitive functions of the elderly and their ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

It was thought that video games were intended only for young people, perhaps because of agility and good reflexes, but this study shows that even in advanced age, motor skills can continue to be active if movement and displacement are not so possible for an older person. since it exercises the brain and the body.

Electronic sports, known as E-Sports, have drawn attention for their effectiveness in preventing dementia and isolating the elderly.

The project was carried out by Tohoku Fukushi University, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corp., and the Sendai E-Sports Association. The objective was to determine if video games can help prevent cognitive decline, muscle weakness and other frailties among the elderly.

The study was conducted between April and September 2022 on 21 people aged 60 and over who regularly visited the Dainohara Rojin Fukushi Center for the Well-being of the Elderly in Sendai’s Aoba Ward.

They were asked to play video games periodically, including car racing and combat titles. Then they were given a cognitive test, a questionnaire and measurements of their physical capacity were taken.

Analyzing data from 17 of them, the group found no significant changes in physical functions, however the gamers became better able to pay attention and multitask, which is likely due to the fact that people took various factors into account while playing the game.

Analyzing daily life questionnaires from 16 people, 7 reported improvements, 3 said no change, and 6 said their daily life had worsened.

Four people with better conditions had previously been in the “frailty category” (special precautions are required to prevent nursing care from becoming essential) so they moved up one rank to the “ pre-frailty category ”.

The people studied gave positive feedback about the experiment. They said video games were “a kind of brain job” and that they “enjoyed improving their scores and times.” Others said they wanted to keep practicing to compete with other people.

Seeing these results, an official from Tohoku Fukushi University said that they will take advantage of video games as a new preventive research tool to improve health.

Video games could help train brain functions that are not normally used, have rehabilitative effects and facilitate memory consolidation.