Video nasties they're called by some - those games where the more people you kill the more points you get. They've been blamed for turning youngsters into aggressive, addicted sociopaths - but new Dutch research suggests they just might be good for your brain. The elderly especially could benefit from spending some time behind the Gameboy console.

Listen here to the interview with Prof Dr Hommel:

One of the researchers is Bernard Hommel, professor of Cognitive Psychology at Leiden University. More research is still needed he says, but there are signs that:

"switching between different sub components of a task - which is necessary in such video games - can be transferred to everyday behaviour, because this also requires frequent switching between for instance cooking and taking a call and arguing with your husband. This is why we think the transfer between these video games and everyday behaviour may work. Improving the switching might be particularly beneficial for the elderly."

Brain shrinks with age
As we get older, the front lobe of the brain shrinks and affects the speed with which we can switch from one task to the other. First Person Shooter games, as they're called, are basically a workout for the brain in reconfiguring quickly.

The researchers don't yet know whether the violence in the videogames is an essential element in creating the positive effect on the brain."We do not know whether shooting is really necessary." says Professor Hommel,

"Probably it does not have to be violent, but perhaps the first person aspect of the game is particularly motivating. Those are games where you are the central figure. It makes it easier to engage in a task."

Negative aspects unproven
According to the research team, the negative aspects of violent video games have not been proven. It's likely that the perpetrators of school shootings play such games - but most of their classmates also play the same games and are not involved in any violence. Professor Hommel remarks:

"There are a lot of ad hoc biases by politicians and others but there is no really serious investigation whether there is a link between playing those games and showing violent behaviour in everyday life."