ArticlePloS one2025
Characterizing the cognitive and mental health benefits of exercise and video game playing.
Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Early cognitive screening for individuals on the dementia continuum: A novel approach amid current trends.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2026Review
- Exploring the Feasibility of the Creyos Cognitive Assessment Tool Among Patients With Heart Failure.Cureus · 2025Article
- Connectivity in the Dorsal Visual Stream Is Enhanced in Action Video Game Players.Brain sciences · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Two of the most actively studied modifiable lifestyle factors, exercise and video gaming, are regularly touted as easy and effective ways to enhance brain function and/or protect it from age-related decline. However, some critical lingering questions and methodological inconsistencies leave it unclear what aspects of brain health are affected by exercise and video gaming. In this cross-sectional global online study, we recruited over 1000 people and collected data about participants' physical activity levels, time spent playing video games, mental health, and cognitive performance using tests of short-term memory, verbal abilities, and reasoning skills from the Creyos battery. The amount of regular physical activity was not significantly related to any measure of cognitive performance; however, more physical activity was associated with better mental health as indexed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) screeners for depression and anxiety. Conversely, we found that more time spent playing video games was associated with better cognitive performance but was unrelated to mental health. We conclude that exercise and video gaming have differential effects on the brain, which may help individuals tailor their lifestyle choices to promote mental and cognitive health, respectively, across the lifespan.
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Registered trials
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