A Wii May Be a Win-Win

A dozen or so older adults at California's Folsom Senior Center erupt in cheers and clapping as Elsie Offner, a 91-year-old resident of Folsom, bowls a strike.

The senior center doesn't have lanes, but it does have a new bit of gaming technology, a Nintendo Wii. And with it comes Wii bowling, by far the most popular video game with the seniors who frequent the community center.

"It gets you out of your rocking chair," said Offner, when asked what she liked best about the game.

And these types of video games bring with them substantial social benefits.

"It allows them to gather socially and feel social without leaving the comfort of the senior lounge," said Sandy Hilton, the senior center's community services manager.

While playing video games promotes social connectedness and friendships, other benefits -- such as the improvement and sharpening of the minds' abilities -- are still being uncovered.

Cognitive or mental decline is a hallmark of aging. Most of us, at some point or other, will begin to see our memory, attention or reasoning capabilities falter. Recent research from the University of Virginia suggests that such declines can begin as early as our late 20s to early 30s.

Video games are emerging as a powerful new stimulant for helping to buttress and buffer the mind against the march of time.

Research over the past decade has repeatedly shown that games and other brain exercises can be effective aliments to declines in cognitive functioning, including memory, attention, processing speed, problem solving and mental flexibility.

The ACTIVE study published by the American Medical Association in 2006 showed that benefits for older adults can be seen five years after cognitive training -- including positive effects on daily functioning.