GAMING IS GOOD

Video games keep older minds sharp. Researchers asked volunteers ages 60 to 85 to play a fast-paced video game that involved driving while identifying signs. Participants’ skills were monitored at the outset and after a month of playing three times a week. Not only did their performance improve dramatically, but they also scored higher afterward on tests of short-term memory and long-term focus. The study “shows you can take older people who aren’t functioning well and make them cognitively younger through this training,” says MIT neuroscientist Earl Miller. “It’s a very big deal.”