Gamers have a reason to celebrate this week, for they have been vindicated by science. A study published in Nature shows that older people can strengthen their brain power by playing games tailored to specific cognitive defects.The study, led by neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley at the University of California, focused on the brain's waning capacity for multitasking as people age. The carefully designed 3D game “NeuroRacer” successfully lengthened the attention span of the participants, improved their memory, and boosted their ability to multitask.“I was frustrated because I felt like I was losing my faculties,” 65-year-old Ann Linsey, one of Gazzaley's subjects, told Nature. “Now I've learned to focus my attention.” Total gamers' high.Gazzaley was quick to add that “video games shouldn't now be seen as a guaranteed panacea.” After all, NeuroRacer was designed by scientists in order to boost brain function in a specific demographic. Most games in the real world do not come with post-session brain examinations—though anyone who has tried to solve the dozens of goddamn frustrating puzzles the Riddler sprinkled all over Arkham City can attest to the fact that many commercial games require obsessive concentration.While video games may not be a cure-all, Gazzaley's study does beg the question: what other allegedly brain-melting habits was your mother wrong about? That's right: your mom. Specifically. Here are two others she really screwed the pooch on.AlcoholAdmittedly, alcohol is not great if it inspires you to climb buildings, drive recklessly, or drunk dial your seven evil exes. But there is a yin to that awful, barfy yang. According to a study conducted by the British Medical Journal, extreme behavior on either side of the booze spectrum is to be avoided. Heavy drinkers and teetotalers were more at risk of cognitive impairment than moderate drinkers. And whether you average 20 drinks a day or none at all, you are much more likely to die early than a person who averages 1-2 drinks a day.The BMJ study is the most comprehensive of its kind, lasting 23 years and surveying 1,018 men and women. But many other studies have confirmed that casual drinking has a protective effect on the brain compared to total prohibitionist abstention or total Dionysian immersion.And even if you have abandoned yourself to the heavy drinking extreme, alcohol can still help your brain out when you inevitably smash it into a wall, the pavement, or some fumbling combination of both. In a study of nearly 40,000 head trauma cases, alcohol lessoned the inflammation of the brain, meaning drunk patients bounced back quicker than sober ones. Excessive drinking will kill brain cells slowly, but liquor will have your back—or rather your brain—when it comes to the big tumbles. (Avoiding the tumbles at all is a better option, of course.)PsychedelicsIt's not really a shocker that LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline have a far more frightening reputation than they merit. The exaggerated portrayals of these melty-fun-time drugs is one of the funniest parts of watching 80s and 90s after-school specials. Oh, Shane from Degrassi Junior High took acid one time? Better make him jump off a bridge and sustain massive brain damage. The more likely story would have him wondering why he never told his wallpaper how insightful it is, but I guess that's what Mad Men is for.Contrary to this pervasive belief, the evidence that psychedelics can actually improve mental health keeps on building. The latest study along these lines was published last month, and hails from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.Researchers analyzed data from 130,000 Americans who completed drug use surveys between 2001 and 2004—22,000 had used LSD, psilocybin, or mescaline at least once. “Over the past 50 years, tens of millions of people have used psychedelics and there just is not much evidence of long-term problems,” said Teri Krebs, one of the lead researchers. “Rather, in several cases psychedelic use was associated with a lower rate of mental health problems.”Conclusion? Pop that tab, grab a brewsky, and turn on the Playstation. Your brain will thank you. Just don't do it all at once.
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Alcohol always has an effect on your brain, but it's not always good. Sometimes though!
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