A new research study links the size of certain parts of the brain with video game performance. Study participants with minimal videogame experience were asked to play Space Fortress, while researchers monitored their brains via an MRI scan. Specifically, they were interested in a part of the brain called the striatum (linked to our motor skills, learning new procedures, developing useful strategies and adapting to a quickly changing environment). Results suggested that the better a person is at a video game, the bigger their striatum tends to be.

“This is the first time that we’ve been able to take a real-world task like a video game and show that the size of specific brain regions is predictive of performance and learning rates,” said Kirk Erickson of the University of Pittsburgh. Take heart however – as your brain size isn’t fixed – it can grow and adapt according to what you do!

So there you have it – written proof that you need to play more not less! Indeed only last night I told my other half I was working on enlarging my brain. There has got to be a trade off though, as I suspect that if your striatum gets too big then your neck won’t support its weight and you’ll have stop watching the screen at a 90 degree angle. Mind you that might improve my own gaming skills! So next time you get fragged, blame your brain not the controller!