What role do video games play in optimizing brain health/cognitive reserve and reducing risk of neurodegenerative diseases?
It would be interesting if you could look into this question. Especially with regard to console-based (on Xbox, Play Station) role-playing games (e.g. Oblivion, Skyrim) and first-person shooters (e.g. Call of Duty). What positive and/or negative effects can they have on cognitive reserve and reducing risk of neurodegeneration? At face value it seems such games could benefit memory, tactical thinking, coordination and other aspects of cognition. Given that they're largely open-ended and function like simulators, they also might provide a more diverse set of experiences than one usually experiences in daily life. Might such games even have a similar effect on cognitive stimulation as cognitive enhancing drugs like nicotine/caffeine? What do you think and what's the data say on all this?