{
  "id": 6156474,
  "title": "More time spent playing video games is linked to a thinner cerebral cortex in adolescents",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/more-time-spent-playing-video-games-is-linked-to-a-thinner-cerebral",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-07T18:00:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/more-time-spent-playing-video-games-is-linked-to-a-thinner-cerebral-cortex-in-adolescents/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study published in NeuroImage indicates that adolescents who spend more time playing video games may have a thinner cerebral cortex and smaller surface area in key brain regions. The cerebral cortex, the brain's outer layer, is responsible for higher-level functions such as thinking, memory, emotion, and language. Researchers often measure its structure through cortical thickness and surface area.\n\nDuring early adolescence, the brain undergoes natural remodeling, with the cortex typically thinning as brain circuits become more efficient. However, the relationship between video gaming and brain development has been inconsistent in previous research. One study of 14-year-olds found that more gaming was linked to thicker frontal brain regions. Yet, this area of study has been complicated by conflicting findings and small participant groups.\n\nTo address this, scientists analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, involving 5,686 adolescents around 14 years old. The team examined whether gaming time related to cortical thickness and surface area across various brain regions. On average, teens reported playing about 3.1 hours per day, with 81% playing at least some video games.\n\nThe analysis revealed that greater time spent gaming was associated with a thinner cortex and smaller cortical surface area in several brain regions, including the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. Single-player gaming was linked to lower surface area in areas involved in language processing, social cognition, and emotional regulation. Multi-player gaming showed no significant associations with cortical structure.\n\nThe content of the games also mattered, as adolescents who frequently played mature-rated games tended to have a thinner cortex in networks supporting attention and social/emotional processing. Researchers suggest that how adolescents game, not just how much, may impact brain development. However, the study's cross-sectional design means it cannot determine causation, and self-reported gaming data may be inaccurate. Future research should explore the impact of specific game genres on brain structure.",
  "summary": "A study of over 5,600 teenagers links video gaming to differences in brain structure, like a thinner cerebral cortex. However, these associations vary depending on whether adolescents engage in solo, social, or mature-rated gaming.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}