Excessive video gaming "thins" the cerebral cortex in adolescents

"Russia Today" – A study published in the journal NeuroImage found that the cerebral cortex of adolescents who excessively play video games is thinner in certain regions. The research was conducted by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco.

The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain, responsible for thinking, speech, and attention. Its thickness and surface area change during adolescence.

The scientists discovered that, on average, adolescents who spend more time playing video games have a thinner cerebral cortex and a smaller surface area in several regions.

However, according to the scientists, this does not imply damage or disorder, as the cerebral cortex naturally thins during early adolescence, followed by a reorganization of neural connections to become more efficient.

The researchers analyzed data from 5,686 participants in the U.S. ABCD study. Adolescents, aged approximately 14, underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and were asked about their gaming habits. It emerged that they play an average of 3.1 hours per day.

The associations varied depending on the type of games. Single-player games were often associated with smaller surface areas in cortical regions involved in speech, communication, and emotion regulation. In contrast, for online games, the scientists found no significant differences among players after accounting for other factors. Age-restricted games were frequently associated with a thinner cerebral cortex in networks related to attention and the processing of social and emotional signals.

The authors emphasize that this is a statistical association, not evidence of a causal relationship. It is possible that brain characteristics influence game choices, and the observed differences are small, reflecting natural patterns of development. The scientists will continue to follow the adolescents to determine which of these factors emerges first.