Strategic video games might help the elderly keep their brains sharp, according to a study published in this month’s issue of Psychology and Aging.

Researchers in the psychology department at the University of Illinois- Urbana suggest that over-60 seniors who play strategy-based video games can improve heir cognitive function.

For the study, the researchers used the game Rise of Nations that gives players the opportunity to build an entire society. They basically are asked to create cities, wonders, they must find ways to feed and employ people. Players can also expand a nation’s borders and conquer other nations.

Forty older adults were involved in the study, 20 of which received 23.5 hours of training in Rise of Nations, while the other 20 received no training.

Participants’ cognitive skills were tested before, during and at the end of the study. The researchers weren’t surprised to find that the participants who played the game showed improvement in game performance through the end of the study - overall time needed to complete each scenario within the game was reduced and score increased.

These participants also did well on tests of memory, reasoning and the ability to identify rotated objects compared to those who were not trained.

Professor Art Kramer, an author of the study, said, “this is the first such study of older adults, and it is the first to find such pronounced effects on cognitive skills not directly related to the skills learned in the video game.”

However, questions remain about whether people with better cognitive abilities are naturally attracted to video games and other complex tasks, or whether the act of playing the video games boosted cognitive ability, the researchers cautioned.