Alzheimer's Disease: Is Playing Video Games Now Bad for the Brain Later?

Some people may have heard that video games can help the brain stay sharp as it gets older. Think again. It seems that new evidence shows the exact opposite may be true.

A team of researchers in Quebec, Canada from the University of Montreal and the Douglas Institute in Quebec decided to work together and find out more. They wanted to know how video games affect brain structures. A psychologist from the University of Montreal, Dr. Gregory West, led the research team. They focused much of their work on action video games.

As per a new research study, it has been reported that there is a big difference in the brain activity of both genders concerning Alzheimer’s dementia, which is known to be a more common occurrence in women, and it was also noted that certain brain disorders are known to mostly affect the male population. Dr. Daniel, who was leading the research study, had mentioned that he would need to find out exactly what makes the brains of men and women so different; then he could discover something new about these kinds of diseases.

Women are known to be highly prone to diseases such as depression, Alzheimer’s dementia, and anxiety. Disorders of the mood, including anxiety, have been observed to be common in women as well. After puberty, women are known to be twice as likely to get depressed or anxious during their lifetime. In the case of the male population, autism is seen as a common occurrence in boys and is mostly detected at a very young age. Some of them can experience mild cases and are also able to function well with the help of certain therapies. Compared to girls, boys are also known to be four to five times more likely to have ADHD, wherein an individual has difficulty focusing on a task for a longer period of time.

All of these diseases are known to have one thing in common, and that is an increased risk of developing each one depending on one’s gender. But the question arises as to how does gender play a role in these conditions? In the research study recently conducted, scientists found a big difference in the brain activity between both the male and female genders. Women were seen to have most areas of the brain light up compared to men, and they were also said to have a greater flow of blood. There were 65 active regions on average in the brains of the female population whereas, in the case of men, there were only 9 regions active on average. In regards to women, the emotional part was active, which was the reason for their depression and anxiety. They also had an active prefrontal cortex, which is known to house the personality and decision making skills. Men were shown to display high activity in certain regions of the brain as well. The blood flow happened mostly in areas that controlled motor skills as well as visual functions, so one can link men more with sports-related activities. One of the researchers, Dr. Amen, stated that there is still a need for more research in these areas because, if one can determine how an individual’s biological sex puts one at risk for a certain kind of brain-related disorder, then one can form a better plan of attack to prevent their development. By understanding the risk factors, one can look for ways to prevent them in the first place.