Now I know this seems a no brainer for us gamers, but recent research suggests that games can have positive effects on among us where games usually play no part in their lives. (I can hear that simultaneous sucking in of air by you all). Yes, I know, utterly shocking!

Research at the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests a novel route to improving the symptoms of subsyndromal depression (SSD) in seniors. SDD is much more common than major depression in seniors, and is associated with substantial suffering, functional disability, and increased use of costly medical services. However, researchers found that through the regular use of “exergames” (entertaining video games that combine game play with exercise) a significant improvement in mood and mental health-related quality of life was experienced by older adults with SDD.

In the study, 19 participants with SSD ranging in age from 63 to 94 played an exergame on the Nintendo Wii for 35-minute sessions, three times a week. After some initial instruction, they chose one of the five Wii Sports games to play on their own — tennis, bowling, baseball, golf or boxing. Dilip V. Jeste, MD, Professor of psychiatry and neurosciences at the Institute said, “this study suggests encouraging results from the use of the exergames. More than one-third of the participants had a 50-percent or greater reduction of depressive symptoms. Many had a significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and increased cognitive stimulation.”

This is a welcome set of results for me as I push beyond the 40 barrier – the fact that I might have another 54 years of gaming in me certainly lifts any depression!