PlayStation brain boostersMatt Bean. Men's Health. Emmaus: Dec 2006. Vol. 21, Iss. 10; pg. 82, 1 pgsAbstract (Summary) "Gamers can rapidly process visual information, develop finely tuned motor controls, and understand timing and coordination-much like musicians," says Kurt Squire, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who studies learning through video games.

Full Text (200 words)Copyright Rodale Inc. Dec 2006

No longer the exclusive domain of f rat boys and reclusive teens, video games are being used by surgeons, neuroscientists, and NASCAR racers to refine their specialized skills. Try these games to do the same.

GEARS OF WAR (XBOX 360)

Habitual players of first-person games, like this futuristic shoot-'em-up, have stronger visual skills and make decisions 85 percent faster than nongamers. "You can read the newspaper, recognize a scene, or pick out facial features in a photograph faster," says Daphne Bavelier, Ph.D., of the University of Rochester.

SUPER MONKEY BALL (GAMECUBE)

An Iowa State University study found that Laparoscopic surgeons who moved a rolling ball through a series of platforms in this game before surgery made 37 percent fewer errors and were 27 percent faster at completing surgical tasks. Gaming has also been shown to improve reaction times and spatial visualization.

GUITAR HERO II (PS 2)

"Gamers can rapidly process visual information, develop finely tuned motor controls, and understand timing and coordination-much like musicians," says Kurt Squire, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who studies learning through video games. "This can help even if you've never played guitar."

[Sidebar]Make bad guys cower with your joystick skills.