Abstract Video games are now a ubiquitous form of entertainment
that has occasionally attracted negative attention.
Video games have also been used to test cognitive function,
as therapeutic interventions for neuropsychiatric disorders,
and to explore mechanisms of experience-dependent structural
brain changes. Here, we review current research on video
games published from January 2011 to April 2014 with a
focus on studies relating to mental health, cognition, and brain
imaging. Overall, there is evidence that specific types of video
games can alter brain structure or improve certain aspects of
cognitive functioning. Video games can also be useful as neuropsychological
assessment tools. While research in this area
is still at a very early stage, there are interesting results that
encourage further work in this field, and hold promise for
utilizing this technology as a powerful therapeutic and experimental