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A separate brain region for Pokémon

Spektrum der Wissenschaft
14.3.2020
Translation: machine translated

According to a scientific study, playing Pokémon changes our brain structures.

Recognising faces is crucial for social behaviour. We have the plasticity of our visual cortex to thank for the fact that we become experts at this over the course of our development. Even babies prefer to look at faces, and this is also reflected in the brain: the little ones develop an area specialised in faces, the coordinates of which overlap surprisingly strongly from person to person.

Apparently, things that we see particularly frequently in childhood can change the architecture of our visual system. Therapeutic interventions, for example for autism or impaired facial recognition, should therefore be carried out as early as possible, the authors conclude.

Do you want to change your brain permanently?

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