Old folks listen up: playing strategy games is good for your brain

The University of Illinois psych department has just published the results of a study into the improvement of cognitive functions via "training" on a videogame:

Specifically, the researchers wondered whether interactive video games might benefit those cognitive functions that decline most with age.
 
"Older people tend to fare less well on things that are called executive control processes," Kramer said. "These include things like scheduling, planning, working memory, multitasking and dealing with ambiguity."

And it works: after nearly 24 hours of "training" on Rise of Nations, the 40 over-60 test subjects (yes, there was a control group) all showed significant brain power improvement.

The researchers found that training on the video game did improve the participants' performance on a number of these tests. As a group, the gamers became significantly better – and faster – at switching between tasks as compared to the comparison group.

Their working memory, as reflected in the tests, was also significantly improved. Their reasoning ability was enhanced. To a lesser extent, their short-term memory of visual cues was better than that of their peers, as was their ability to identify rotated objects.

My bolds. Doesn't say whether the results were long-lasting or not, and the researchers are careful to point out that other factors improve long-term brain health, such as diet and exercise.