Playing
brain-training video games may help improve some cognitive abilities of people
with multiple sclerosis (MS) by strengthening neural connections in an
important part of their brains, according to a new study. MS is a disease of
the central nervous system that results in damage to the protective covering of
nerve fibers. Symptoms include weakness, muscle stiffness and difficulty
thinking--a phenomenon often referred to as ‘brain fog’. MS affects an
estimated 2.5 million people worldwide, according to the Multiple Sclerosis
Foundation. Damage to the thalamus, a structure in the middle of the brain that
acts as a kind of information hub and its connections with other parts of the
brain play an important role in the cognitive dysfunction many MS patients
experience. Researchers from the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at
Sapienza University in Rome recently studied the effects of a video game-based
cognitive rehabilitation program on the thalamus in patients with MS. They used
a collection of video games from the Nintendo Corporation, called Dr.
Kawashima's Brain Training, which train the brain using puzzles, word memory
and other mental challenges.
Twenty-four MS
patients with cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to either take part
in an eight-week, home-based rehabilitation program (consisting of 30-minute
gaming sessions, five days per week). Patients were evaluated by cognitive
tests and by 3-Tesla resting state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) at baseline and
after the eight-week period. Functional imaging when the brain is in its
resting state, or not focused on a particular task, provides important
information on neural connectivity. At follow-up, the 12 patients in the
video-game group had significant increases in thalamic functional connectivity
in brain areas corresponding to the posterior component of the default mode
network, which is one of the most important brain networks involved in
cognition. The results provide an example of the brain's plasticity, or ability
to form new connections throughout life. The modifications in functional
connectivity shown in the video game group after training corresponded to
significant improvements in test scores assessing sustained attention and executive
function, the higher-level cognitive skills that help organize our lives and
regulate our behavior. The results suggest that video-game-based brain training
is an effective option to improve cognitive abilities of patients with MS.
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