Playing action video games can boost learning

"A new study [1] shows for the first time that playing action video games improves learning capabilities more generally, not just the skills taught in the game."

http://www.kurzweilai.net/playing-action-video-games-can-boost-learning

Surgeons seem to have all the gaming fun in medicine with a number of hand-eye coordination skills being studied and perhaps honed by video game. [2,3,4]

1. Bejjanki VR, Zhang R, Li R, Pouget A, Green CS, Lu Z-L, Bavelier D. Action video game play facilitates the development of better perceptual templates. PNAS 2014 Nov;111(47):16961–16966. Available from: http://www.pnas.org/content/111/47/16961

2. Jalink MB, Heineman E, Pierie JPEN, Ten Cate Hoedemaker HO. The effect of a preoperative warm-up with a custom-made Nintendo video game on the performance of laparoscopic surgeons. Surg Endosc 2014 Nov;

3. Rosser JC, Jr, Lynch PJ, Cuddihy L, Gentile DA, Klonsky J, Merrell R. The impact of video games on training surgeons in the 21st century. Arch Surg 2007 Feb;142(2):181–186. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.142.2.181

4. http://www.medicaldaily.com/wii-surgery-nintendo-game-console-boosts-surgeons-skills-244546