Characterizing the cognitive and mental health benefits of exercise and video game playing.

ABSTRACT: Two of the most actively studied modifiable lifestyle factors, exercise and video gaming, are regularly touted as easy and effective ways to enhance brain function and/or protect it from age-related decline. However, some critical lingering questions and methodological inconsistencies leave it unclear what aspects of brain health are affected by exercise and video gaming. In this cross-sectional global online study, we recruited over 1000 people and collected data about participants' physical activity levels, time spent playing video games, mental health, and cognitive performance using tests of short-term memory, verbal abilities, and reasoning skills from the Creyos battery. The amount of regular physical activity was not significantly related to any measure of cognitive performance; how

SUBMITTER: Paleczny SG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12551924 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature