Many parents of clients ask me about the impact of violent video games on the brain, and now, finally, there is a study that examines exactly that. This study is small and, like all cutting-edge work, needs to be replicated, but it is a strong sign that violent video games make changes in the brain.

A presentation at a meeting of the Radiological Society of Northern America showed fMRI scans of young men who gamed for a week compared with those who did not and found changes in the part of the frontal lobe responsible for controlling emotion and aggressive behavior, according to an article in the UK’s Daily Mail.  The study also showed that the changes diminished after a week or so of no gaming.

Please do not take one presentation at a meeting as a sign of scientific proof; it is merely an opening into exploring this issue.  You can read the Daily Mail overview here.  Be forewarned it has a large amount of advertising and pop-ups on the page.