Parents take note - video games are not all bad.
In young children and adolescents they can lead to excessive use and aggressive behaviour but a leading expert said on Friday (July 15) that the games ease pain, distract patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer and help to develop dexterity.
"The degree of attention needed to play such a game can distract the player from the sensation of pain," Professor Mark Griffiths, of Nottingham University in England, said in an editorial in the British Medical Journal.
In patients with arm injuries, the games have been used to increase strength and dexterity while children with learning disabilities have played them to develop spatial ability.
"Therapeutic benefits have also been reported for a variety of adult populations including wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries, people with severe burns and people with muscular dystrophy," according to Griffiths.