One aspect of video games that is less often discussed is their potential to test or screen for cognitive deficits. The idea is that if scoring well on a video game requires a specific cognitive skill, then individuals who score especially poorly on this game may have a deficit in that skill. This may be particularly true of video games that are marketed as “brain training” games. Irrespective of whether such games can actually improve brain function, is it possible to use these games for testing attention, working memory, visuospatial memory, processing speed and response inhibition? These domains may be impaired in a wide variety of medical conditions such as dementia, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), liver disease and renal disease. More importantly, early, subtle or insidious cognitive deficits related to these conditions may remain undiagnosed and untreated for years.
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