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Action video games improve eyesight, says study

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 29 Mar 2009 9:58 User comments (16)

Action video games improve eyesight, says study According to a survey from the University of Rochester in New York, adults that play lots of action video games can possibly improve their eyesight.
Those who play see significant improvements in "their ability to notice subtle differences in shades of gray."

"Normally, improving contrast sensitivity means getting glasses or eye surgery -- somehow changing the optics of the eye,"
said Daphne Bavelier of the study."But we've found that action video games train the brain to process the existing visual information more efficiently, and the improvements last for months after game play stopped."

The study divided 22 adults into two groups, with one group playing "Call of Duty 2" and "Unreal Tournament 2004." The second group played "The Sims 2," a slower game that requires much less hand-eye coordination and reaction time.



Each group played exactly 50 hours of the games over nine weeks. By the end of the training, those in the first group showed a 43 percent improvement in "their ability to discern close shades of gray," whereas the second group had no improvement.

"When people play action games, they're changing the brain's pathway responsible for visual processing. These games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it," Bavelier added.

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16 user comments

129.3.2009 22:49

Old study is old.....

229.3.2009 23:16

Well they did say that surgeons make better..uh..surgeons due to playing video games. Cant recall what kind but, you could google it. I don't think I'm going to be a surgeon however since most physicians will be bent over due to Obama's health care in 2010 :)

329.3.2009 23:47

Originally posted by ZippyDSM:
Old study is old.....
http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop...ll/nn.2296.html

429.3.2009 23:54

Quote:
Originally posted by ZippyDSM:
Old study is old.....
http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop...96.html

You misunderstand they been saying things like this for years. :P

529.3.2009 23:57

what a load of dreck.it may just be the opposite.oh well,i only played till i needed glasses.lol.

630.3.2009 00:37

It improves reaction time of the Mind. Its also True that in some people
it does the exact opposite,like me.

if i step away from games for 5 days and go back to them i'm top stuff. maybe 3 hours later i have a hard time finding that guy with the sniper rifle.

just like if i drink caffeine i'm a sleep 30 minutes later.

730.3.2009 00:43
varnull
Inactive

I think DOAXBV might have had the exact opposite effect XD

830.3.2009 01:09

Originally posted by varnull:
I think DOAXBV might have had the exact opposite effect XD
Nah, i don't like volleyball No matter how hot the chicks are...Even if there is a topless code......

930.3.2009 01:41

Originally posted by DXR88:
It improves reaction time of the Mind. Its also True that in some people
it does the exact opposite,like me.

if i step away from games for 5 days and go back to them i'm top stuff. maybe 3 hours later i have a hard time finding that guy with the sniper rifle.

just like if i drink caffeine I'm a sleep 30 minutes later.

Got a friend caffine has little effect but Diphenhydramine makes him hyper...what is up with you people and your crazy matablisims?

:P

1030.3.2009 01:53

Originally posted by ZippyDSM:
Got a friend caffine has little effect but Diphenhydramine makes him hyper...what is up with you people and your crazy matablisims?

:P
We were included in the big book of Shit happens.

1130.3.2009 01:55

Originally posted by windsong:
Well they did say that surgeons make better..uh..surgeons due to playing video games. Cant recall what kind but, you could google it. I don't think I'm going to be a surgeon however since most physicians will be bent over due to Obama's health care in 2010 :)
Nope not a video game. There final test is trying to grab the funny bone In operation

1230.3.2009 01:57

Quote:
Originally posted by windsong:
Well they did say that surgeons make better..uh..surgeons due to playing video games. Cant recall what kind but, you could google it. I don't think I'm going to be a surgeon however since most physicians will be bent over due to Obama's health care in 2010 :)
Nope not a video game. There final test is trying to grab the funny bone In operation
Yes video game, since some medical equipment requires the use of a analog stick like controller.

1330.3.2009 02:14

Quote:
Quote:
Originally posted by windsong:
Well they did say that surgeons make better..uh..surgeons due to playing video games. Cant recall what kind but, you could google it. I don't think I'm going to be a surgeon however since most physicians will be bent over due to Obama's health care in 2010 :)
Nope not a video game. There final test is trying to grab the funny bone In operation
Yes video game, since some medical equipment requires the use of a analog stick like controller.
It was a joke...


1430.3.2009 02:18

Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Originally posted by windsong:
Well they did say that surgeons make better..uh..surgeons due to playing video games. Cant recall what kind but, you could google it. I don't think I'm going to be a surgeon however since most physicians will be bent over due to Obama's health care in 2010 :)
Nope not a video game. There final test is trying to grab the funny bone In operation
Yes video game, since some medical equipment requires the use of a analog stick like controller.
It was a joke...



Just makeingz with the sure...I hate being wrong on the interwebz :P

1531.3.2009 15:10

thats great i can tell my girlfriend im inproving my eye site when she tells me 2 turn off me PS3....

161.4.2009 19:58

Well i like this study i even have a real example in regards to myself my driving instructor has told me to play more car based games to improve my site when i drive for real this theory is a great one that does work in practice aswell. :)

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