5/26/13

RSNA press release: Violent Video Games Leave Teenagers Emotionally Aroused

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RSNA Press Release

Violent Video Games Leave

Teenagers Emotionally Aroused
Released: November 28, 2006

At A Glance:
Researchers used functional
magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI) to compare the brain

Media Contacts:
RSNA Media Relations:

function of adolescents who

(630) 590-7762

Maureen Morley
(630) 590-7754
mmorley@rsna.org
CHICAGO A new study has found that
adolescents who play violent video games may
exhibit lingering effects on brain function,
including increased activity in the region of the
brain that governs emotional arousal and
decreased activity in the brain's executive
function, which is associated with control, focus
and concentration. The findings were presented
today at the annual meeting of the Radiological
Society of North America (RSNA).

had recently played a violent

video game and adolescents
who had played an exciting,
nonviolent game.
Adolescents who play violent
video games show decreased
activity in parts of the brain
that control inhibition and
increased activity in areas of
the brain that are associated
with emotional arousal.

"Our study suggests that playing a certain type of violent video game may have
different short-term effects on brain function than playing a nonviolentbut exciting
game," said Vincent P. Mathews, M.D., professor of radiology at Indiana University
School of Medicine in Indianapolis.
Video games are big business with nearly $10 billion in sales in the United States last

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RSNA press release: Violent Video Games Leave Teenagers Emotionally Aroused

Video games are big business with nearly $10 billion in sales in the United States last
year. But along with growing sales come growing concerns about what effects these
games may be having on the young people who play them.
Dr. Mathews and colleagues randomly assigned 44 adolescents to play either a violent
video game or a nonviolent video game for 30 minutes. The researchers then used
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study brain function during a series
of tasks measuring inhibition and concentration. One test used emotional stimuli and
one did not.
fMRI measures the tiny metabolic changes that occur when a part of the brain is
active. These changes will appear as a brightly colored area on the MR image,
indicating the part of the brain that is being used to process the task. The two groups
did not differ in accuracy or reaction time for the tasks, but analysis of the fMRI data
showed differences in brain activation.
Compared with the group that played the nonviolent game, the group that played the
violent video game demonstrated less activation in the prefrontal portions of the
brain, which are involved in inhibition, concentration and self-control, and more
activation in the amygdala, which is involved in emotional arousal.
"During tasks requiring concentration and processing of emotional stimuli, the
adolescents who had played the violent video game showed distinct differences in
brain activation than the adolescents who played an equally exciting and fun-but
nonviolent-game," Dr. Mathews said. "Because of random assignment, the most likely
factor accounting for these differences would be the group to which the volunteers
were assigned."
The researchers hope to conduct additional research on long-term effects of violent
video game exposure and the impact of these brain functioning differences.
"Additional investigation of the reasons for and effects of this difference in brain
functioning will be important targets for future study, but the current study showed
that a difference between the groups does exist," Dr. Mathews said.
Co-authors are Yang Wang, M.D., Andrew J. Kalnin, M.D., Kristine M. Mosier, D.M.D.,
Ph.D., David W. Dunn, M.D., and William G. Kronenberger, Ph.D.
###
RSNA is an association of more than 40,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and
related scientists committed to promoting excellence in radiology through education and by fostering
research, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the printed abstract and those
actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the
meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom
at (312) 949-3233.

Abstract:

Short-term Effects of Violent Video Game Playing: An fMRI Study

Images (.JPG format)

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Figure 1. Functional MRI (fMRI) study of Counting Interference Task violent and non-violent game players

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Figure 2. Functional MRI (fMRI) study of Emotional Stroop Task violent and non-violent game players
Figures 3-8 (below): Study participant undergoing MRI and resultant
images

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RSNA press release: Violent Video Games Leave Teenagers Emotionally Aroused

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