Video game found to boost older people's memory

Tests have found that elderly people can boost their brain function by playing a specially produced video game for just 12 hours.

Researchers at the University of California said the improvements were so remarkable that within a short period of time many of the pensioners became more proficient at driving-based challenges than people in their 20s.

The NeuroRacer game has been designed to test older people's ability to multi-task, remember things and stay alert.

Some of the men and women aged between 60 and 85 that took part in the study were found to still be displaying some of its benefits six months afterwards.

During the study, participants were asked to use a joystick to navigate a car along a winding route while also paying attention to signs which popped up on the screen.

Certain signs were dummies to be ignored, while others had instructions which the older person had to acknowledge by pressing a button.

Like with most regular video games, levels became more difficult as the player moved through them, but none were designed to be so taxing that the subject would become frustrated.

After 12 hours of playing on laptop at home over the course of a month, pensioners were found to have improved working memories and attention spans.

Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at the Alzheimer's Research UK, said he hopes the test can conducted on people living with dementia to see if the same results can be replicated.

"This small study provides useful new insight into some of the brain changes that occur as we age, and highlights a potential way people may be able to withstand these changes," he said.

"This study did not look at people with dementia, but one next step could be to investigate how this type of training may affect people with the condition."

The study's findings were published the journal Nature.

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