Make way for my caudate and putamen, buddy, because they are just off the scale. Those are the parts deep inside your brain (pictured), and U.S. researchers say they are larger in people who are adept at video games, according to the BBC.
"This makes sense, because these areas have been linked to learning procedures and new skills, as well as adapting to changing environments," said researcher Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois. "These people could do a number of things at once. Think of it like driving a car, as well as looking at the road, you're tampering with your GPS, and talking to your passengers."
So multitasking is key, apparently. But there has to be more to it than that. I would bet the style of the game -- the researchers used two versions of a game specially developed for the study -- plays a huge role, too. My wife is a fantastic multitasker and is great at Rock Band and other casual games that nevertheless require speed, timing and dexterity. But the one time she played the shooter Resistance: Fall of Man with me, I looked over at her side of the split-screen to see her character's first-person viewpoint continually spinning wildly as she tried to get her bearings. She finally had to stop and bolt from the room, suffering from motion sickness. (But kudos to her for being willing to try.)
The brain is a funny thing when it comes to video games.
