WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Regardless of age, gender, and class, people are taken to mobile gaming these days. Almost 70% of Americans play at least one kind of mobile game.
Although gaming for long hours is unhealthy, it has a variety of psychological effects including relaxation of the mind, boosting one's mood, etc.
Popular mobile games can provide useful information about the user's cognitive function, a new study done by researchers at the University of Kent reveals.
Most cognitive abilities deteriorate with age, making early diagnosis of cognitive impairment diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia difficult.
The researchers selected 21 healthy participants through standard paper-based cognitive assessment tests. They were asked to play three popular games - Tetris, Candy Crush Saga, and Fruit Ninja for 10 minutes over two periods, a fortnight apart.
They gathered data about the user's taps, swipes, and rotational gestures while playing, using in-built sensors fixed in their mobile phones. There has been a clear link between speed, length, and intensity of these motions and the gamer's cognitive abilities.
The research showed that mobile games can be used as a tool to find the decline in motor abilities in people with Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injuries, or other conditions that can cause cognitive deterioration.
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