Tetris Increases Brain Matter

A new excuse to play videogames: BMC Research Notes finds that playing Tetris for 3months increases the brain's gray matter and efficiency.



Fifteen adolescent girls played Tetris for 3months, on average for 1.5hrs a week. (Girls were used since boys' tendency to have increased videogame experience might skew the results). MRI scans showed that their brain's gray matter, which is used for information processing, became thicker. These regions included the temporal and frontal lobe which is thought to be involved in information integration and planning complex movements.However, other parts of their brains had reduced activity compared to initial readings when monitored during gameplay. The control group who did not play the game at all showed no difference at all.

Scientist theorized this reduced activity may be because the brain is learning which regions are less important during Tetris. Another is that different parts are beginning to communicate with one another, to become more streamlined.